SAN JOSE — Following rapid-fire detective work, police announced the arrest of a man they contend shot and killed Hieu “Charlie” Ly while trying to rob Ly’s Evergreen liquor store earlier this week.

Related Articles Liquor store owner shot to death during San Jose robbery, family says

Muniunmee Hendrix, a 21-year-old San Jose resident, was taken into custody Thursday after San Jose police detectives tracked him to the Central Valley city of Merced, according to San Jose police. He was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail early Friday, and is being held without bail.

Jason Ly, the youngest of Charlie Ly’s four adult children, commended the swift police work in finding his suspected killer.

“On behalf of the Ly family, we would like to thank SJPD for tirelessly working to seek justice for my father,” he said in a statement. “We are extremely grateful to SJPD and the community for all the support.”

The Friday arrest announcement also came on the same day Charlie Ly was set to be memorialized at a vigil at the family-run liquor store located at a strip mall at Quimby and White roads. Patrons, neighbors and friends said Ly built strong bonds with his many regular customers over the past decade and was beloved by generations of Evergreen families, including 20-somethings who affectionately called him “Boss man.”

Some of those customers will join the Ly family Friday for the 7:30 p.m. vigil.

“I felt like as a community we needed to come together and show his family that he was well loved,” said Lulu Gomez-Montez, who is organizing the vigil.

Hendrix was identified despite wearing a mask for at least part of the robbery attempt, witnesses and authorities said. Police Chief Eddie Garcia said a veteran gang detective recognized Hendrix from surveillance images taken from the robbery attempt, in which the suspect matched an image and description from an unrelated burglary case.

The detective learned the suspect was on probation for a previous weapons charge, and Hendrix’s probation officer helped confirm that the suspect in the liquor-store image was him. Meanwhile, burglary detectives learned that Hendrix was reportedly “trying to sell merchandise potentially important to the investigation,” Garcia said.

That prompted investigators to obtain an arrest warrant, and the department’s Covert Response Unit traveled to Merced to arrest Hendrix, who was taken into custody without a struggle. They also found evidence apparently linking him directly to Charlie Ly’s shooting.

“In our search, detectives recovered clothing and a handgun believed to have been used in the commission in the murder,” Garcia said.

The chief echoed the family’s sentiment about the “tireless” work of his officers and investigators who worked together across the police department.

“In the 25 plus years I’ve had at SJPD, this is one of the best examples of teamwork, dedication, collaboration and investigative skill,” Garcia said. “These cases aren’t just another number for detectives, they recognize the victims as human beings and parts of our community. If we can offer some sort of relief to that stricken family, it’s the only reward that these detectives need.”

Ly was shot to death Monday by a masked gunman who walked into their store and demanded money, according to his family. The man shot Ly when he refused to open the cash register, according to Ly’s brother, Hao Ly.

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Ly’s wife witnessed the shooting and, while holding her husband in her arms, tried to call 911, Hao Ly said.

“The guy told her, if you call anybody, I’ll kill you,” Hao Ly previously told this newspaper.

The gunman knocked the phone out of her hand but failed to open the cash register.

Charlie Ly died inside his liquor store, his wife at his side

Jason Ly said he and his brothers Thao, David and Kevin will be at the vigil.

“Our dad was the best father anyone can ever hope for,” the brothers said in a statement. “He carried the weight of the world on his shoulders for the whole family. He did everything for his family and never asked for anything in return. All he wished for his family is joy and happiness.

The family has established a Go Fund Me page to “help take care of the day-to-day living expenses and our mom.

Related Articles Liquor store owner shot to death during San Jose robbery, family says “His life did not deserve to end this way,” the Ly sons wrote about their father. “Our family is in absolute shock and grief – especially our mother, Lilly, who is still traumatized. We are trying as hard as we can to process and cope with this loss.”

At a growing memorial in front of the store, Gomez-Montez left some large poster boards for customers to write down their feelings and keep Ly’s memory alive.

Gomez-Montez said her 23-year-old grandson would often hang out at the store with Ly.

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“He gave the younger generation a lot of wisdom about life,” Gomez-Montez said. “Not only was he a friend, he was a father figure to a lot of the younger generations.”