According to police reports, a 79-year-old Fla. liquor store clerk shot dead a night before retiring. His family members told investigators that Ali Arezoumandifar planned to retire at the end of that shift.

Until recently, the liquor store in Boynton Beach, Fla., belonged to Arezoumandifar, but on that night he was helping the new owners to get acquainted with the business. Police said that his body was found lying on the floor behind the counter on Sunday. A customer found him at 8:10 p.m. and alerted the police.

Investigators reported that the cash register was empty when they arrived at the scene, but they couldn’t tell whether there was a fight before the shooting.

The man’s family were waiting for him at home to celebrate his retirement with a special dinner, but they were announced that he was killed.

“Nobody expected what happened last night,”

said lead investigator Marco Villari.

Villari also said that it wasn’t the first time robbers entered the store. Last month, the store was robbed again, and, on that occasion, the investigator got to know Arezoumandifar better. So, the news about his death saddened him. He explained that last time only money was stolen, but this time a life was taken, as well.

On Oct. 27, an unidentified man wearing a black mask over his face entered the store, took a tray with lottery tickets and ran to a car parked outside. That time, Arezoumandifar wanted to restrain the robber, but the suspect drove off knocking down the 79-year-old to the ground. Arezoumandifar was taken to the hospital where he was treated for face and head injuries.

Villari helped the man reach the hospital and the two men became friends. Later, Villari learned from Arezoumandifar that he planned to retire because his family was afraid another robbery may occur. His family members also urged him to leave future assailants go.

The suspect in the Oct. 27 robbery was caught by the police. A day prior, the suspect and his girlfriend had been involved in heist at a 7-Eleven where they managed to steal several lottery tickets. A witness recalls that the man jumped over the counter and stole the tickets when the clerk was busy serving clients.

One of the two robbers was still in custody on Sunday night, so he was ruled out. The other suspect is now a person of interest.

As the liquor store didn’t have surveillance cameras, police are looking for video from other nearby locations. They also asked witnesses to call 561-732-8116 if they can provide any additional information on the crime.

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