Robber guns down Sushi restaurant owner

ARCADIA, Nov. 28, 2007 (KABC) -- The search is on for a man who gunned down one of the owners of a popular sushi restaurant in Arcadia.

Police have released surveillance video showing the gunman as he terrorized customers and staff.

The victim, 42-year-old Jason Wei, has owned the Osaka Ya Restaurant in Arcadia for the last six years.

Detectives are hoping the high-resolution surveillance video from inside the restaurant will lead them to the suspect.

Just before 9:30 Sunday night surveillance video shows the suspect entering through the backdoor of the sushi restaurant and walking through the kitchen area. He then confronted three employees who were cleaning up.

"As he was moving those individuals to the front the restaurant for whatever reasons he fired a shot that struck Mr. Wei. We have no idea at this point why the shot was fired. There was no resistance on anyone's part. " said Lt. Ron Buckholtz, Arcadia Police Department.

The video doesn't show the actual shooting of the victim.

Next the surveillance video shows the suspect walking into the interior of the restaurant, an area that customers had just left.

"In the video you can see that he actually went towards the front door realizing they were gone came back to the register area where he demanded the money," said Lt. Buckholtz.

He demands cash and is then seen exiting the restaurant. Police say the suspect made off with just $200.

All of this transpired in about one minute.

It is still in the early stages of the investigation. Detectives haven't ruled anything out, including a possibility that the murder is connected to Asian organized crime.

"In talking to the victim's wife, other employees and some family friends it appears by the video and our preliminary investigation to be just a random robbery that just turned tragic," said Lt. Buckholtz.

Detectives say they need the public's help to find the suspect. Anyone with information is urged to call Arcadia police at (626) 574-5166.

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A trust fund has been set up for the children of Jason Wei, the owner of the restaurant who was fatally shot.

Tomato Bank
1317 S. Baldwin Avenue
Arcadia, CA 91007

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