The Broward Sheriff's Office has charged a 20-year-old Lauderhill, Fla., man with murder while engaged in another felony offense in connection to the stabbing death of an Oakland Park Taco Bell manager during a robbery earlier this week, according to a story in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Suspect Karari Ritchie's family said the man was formerly a Taco Bell employee.
Investigators were looking for two men likely pretending to be job applicants so they could enter and steal from the business before its 10 a.m. opening time.
UPDATE (08/13/09): Ritchie has confessed to the robbery and murder of Johnson, telling the Broward Sheriff's Office that he planned to kill Johnson after robbing the store because he was a former store employee and knew she could identify him, according to a story in the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He was able to convince her to open the store to let him to fill out an application because they had previously worked together, Ritchie told investigators.
Investigators said they were checking leads on a second suspect.
UPDATE (08/17/09): The Broward Sheriff's Office has arrested and charged with murder a second suspect in Johnson's death, Tesfaye Ritchie, the brother of Karari Ritchie, according to a story in the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Investigators have revealed that they used fingerprints from drinks Johnson served the two men to identify them and that Karari Ritchie brought a kitchen knife from home to kill Johnson.
