A man who allegedly murdered the proprietor of an East Village flooring-materials store at the victim’s downtown business while wearing a Halloween-style old-lady mask is in custody, facing charges of murder and robbery, San Diego Police reported Thursday.
Kevin Eugene Cartwright, 51, allegedly killed 49-year-old Ghedeer “Tony” Radda of El Cajon, a married father of two young children, last week at Bottom Price Flooring in the 1000 block of G Street.
Homicide detectives arrested Cartwright in El Cajon on Wednesday, Lt. Matt Dobbs said. It was unclear what led them to identify Cartwright as the suspected killer.
A customer made an emergency call shortly after 3:30 p.m. Oct. 10 to report finding Radda dead in his store. The victim’s cause of death and details about the alleged robbery that apparently precipitated the killing have not been released.
A surveillance camera at the victim’s downtown business captured images of the suspected murderer, who was accompanied by a woman wearing blue jeans, a dark-colored jacket and a purple wig. She remains unidentified and at large.
Radda, who owned and operated his flooring business for 16 years, is survived by his wife and two daughters, ages 8 and 5, according to a GoFundMe.com page set up to assist his family.
A statement on the donation website memorializes the victim as a “charming, soft-spoken man with a heart of gold.”
“Ghedeer meant everything to his family,” the online tribute states. “Together, they have lost a husband, father, son, brother, cousin, uncle and nephew whom they loved immensely.”
Cartwright was being held at San Diego Central Jail without bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Friday afternoon.
–City News Service