Video Storeowner Dies After Robbery: Kai Hau Chung remembered as friendly and outgoing
June 25, 2004
A makeshift memorial of chrysanthemum flowers, crayon-colored cards and a porcelain angel marks the site of a robbery on Thursday, June 10, which left a popular storeowner dead after injuries he had sustained during the incident.
Shocked and worried residents on the quiet stretch of street three blocks away from Ocean Beach are mourning the death of 63-year-old Kai Hau Chung, who died shortly after being transported to San Francisco General Hospital on the morning of the robbery.
At around 9:10 a.m., two men entered Video Galaxy Store on 46th Avenue and Noriega Street in the Sunset District, and demanded money from Chung and another customer who was in the store at the time, according to San Francisco police.
Although several media reports claim Chung tried to stop the suspects as they were leaving the store, a friend of Chung’s, who wished to remain anonymous, said that fact is erroneous.
“Mr. Chung had handed over the money and the customer gave the two men his wallet. They did what they were told,” the friend said. “It made me angry to read in the paper that he tried to stop him and that’s why they knocked him down. When people read that, they will think, ‘He’s stupid, he should have just let them have the money.’ But he did just that.”
Police believe one of the perpetrators pushed Chung who then fell and struck his head against a counter or video display. When police arrived, Chung was found bleeding from the back of the head, according to San Francisco police spokesperson Dewayne Tully.
Video Galaxy is a popular Asian movie rental store in the neighborhood. Chung also sold a potpourri of other items, but customers mainly came to browse recent Hong Kong releases or hard-to-find movie series from China. Another close friend of Chung’s said he was always happy and enjoyed talking to people who came to buy Chinese-language newspapers or Muni Fast Passes.
“This is a quiet area, and even if someone passed by the store when it happened, they probably wouldn’t know it was happening because the storefront is covered with a lot of movie posters,” said Chung’s friend, who wished to remain anonymous. “I think the two men knew that this might be an easy target.”
An increased number of police cars has been seen patrolling the usually quiet residential neighborhood, and FBI agents have been questioning possible eyewitnesses. Neighboring businesses have also stepped up their security. One area business installed security cameras after the June 10 incident and decided not to stay open late.
Chung was remembered as an outgoing person who welcomed everyone into his store and greeted everyone with a smile. “I spoke with Chung 20 minutes before the incident when he grabbed a cup of coffee at a nearby café,” said one witness.
Chung is survived by his wife and two daughters.
The suspects are described by police as two black men, between 35 and 40 years old and last seen wearing dark clothing, with one wearing a knit cap. Police are asking anyone with information to contact San Francisco police Inspector Ed Wynkoop at 415-553-1145.
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