Police in Spokane, Washington are searching for two young
suspects after a World War II veteran was severely beaten in a parking lot
Wednesday and later died from his injuries.
The Spokane Police Department says in a press release
officers responded to reports of an assault Wednesday and found the victim in
his car with serious head injuries. He later died Thursday in the hospital.
Authorities on Thursday released surveillance photos of the
two suspects, who they describe as African-American males between the ages of
16 and 19.
Friends identified the victim as 88-year-old Delbert Belton,
and say he was sitting outside a lodge for the Fraternal Order of the Eagles
when he was attacked.
KXLY-TV reports that Belton served in the Army during World
War II and was shot in the leg during the Battle for Okinawa.
"He was a tough old bird, I'll tell you that," Ted
Denison, Belton's friend for 23 years told the Spokesman-Review.
The station says he went on to work for Kaiser Aluminum for
30 years. Friends say he was known as “Shorty,” and enjoyed playing pool and
working on cars. His wife passed away several years ago.
"He was just such a nice person for God's sake. I don't
think Shorty had a mean bone in his body," friend Betty told KXLY-TV.com.
"It does appear random. He was in the parking lot, it
appears he was assaulted in the parking lot and there was no indication that he
would have known these people prior to the assault," Spokane Police Major
Crimes Detective Lieutenant Mark Griffiths told the station.
Denison told KXLY-TV he cannot comprehend how someone could
have carried out such an attack. "I thought of him more as a dad than I
did a friend really," Denison said.
"He was always there for me when I needed him,"
Denison said. "We'd joke back and forth. We were always having fun, some
sort of fun."
"I don't understand how somebody could do this. I
really don't," he told the station.
"Anybody that didn't get to know him missed out on a
wonderful angel in their life," Lillian Duncan told the Spokesman-Review.
The Spokane Police Department is asking anyone with
information to call their hotline at 456-2233.
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