11 convenience store workers killed in 6 months

By RAFFAT BINTE RASHID

September 19, 2000 Web posted at: 4:44 PM EDT (2044 GMT)

HOUSTON, Texas (The Houston Chronicle) -- Nothing was easy for Thankachan and Achamma Mathai.

Bolstered by the American dream, the couple from Kerela, a thriving city in south India, knew if they worked hard it would pay off in the future. So they came to the United States in 1980 and worked until they could buy a vacant lot with a gas station next door.

The business, they were sure, would allow them to have a quiet retirement.

There was no retirement. They were slain during an armed robbery Feb. 12 -- in the gas station next to the vacant lot where they planted their seeds of success.

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Achamma Mathai, who worked at Park Plaza Hospital, went to give her husband his supper that busy Saturday night, when a 19-year-old man -- a frequent customer -- pointed a gun at them and demanded money from the cash register.

"He knew exactly that it was the day when customers bring in their money order and there is a lot of cash in the store," said Sajan Mathai, the couple's only son. "My dad was not fast enough for him when he shot him over the counter and shot my scared mother in the head."

Achamma Mathai died instantly in their Conoco store in the 10600 block of Wilcrest. Her husband stayed alive only a bit longer. They left behind three children and four grandchildren in the United States and their elderly parents in India.

Robert Lee Woodard, 19, awaits a capital murder trial for the deaths of the Mathais. Their slayings are among 11 area convenience-store operators killed in a little more than seven months.

Last week, a Houston man pleaded guilty to killing two convenience-store clerks in a dispute over 10 cents and was sentenced to death.

Exzavier Lamont Stevenson, 31, pleaded guilty to capital murder in the Feb. 16 shooting of Khalid Masroor and Syed Mehdi at a Phillips 66 station in the 6200 block of West Airport.

Houston Police Officer M.H. Siddiqui, the city's liaison to the south Asian community, said Southeast Asians often buy convenience stores or service stations because such businesses require business sense but little training other than how to operate a cash register.

Convenience stores are easy targets for robbers, he said. "It does not matter whether the people who run it are black, white or Asian, but most of these stores are run by Indians, Pakistanis or Bangladeshi," he said.

The son of the Mathais is eager to sell the property and the gas station because he fears for his safety.

"If I was single I wouldn't mind running (the gas station), but now I have obligations toward my family and my children," he said.

He said the other reason to sell the store is that he cannot accept the total disregard for human life and hard work shown by someone who would kill his parents.

Saadat Sherwani, a Pakistani who manages another Houston convenience store, said any job can be dangerous. "I am cautious," he said.

"If I see a car standing more than five minutes I go out, look into their business. I don't let 15-, 16-year-olds hang out."

He also welcomes police patrols and considers their presence important.

Sheik Azim from Bangladesh said the attacks are not because of hate but are simply random violence. "There are crazies everywhere around the world, but you can do nothing if you are attacked," he said.

"You have to be cautious, of course," he said, adding that he trusts the police.

Jay Shah of India said everyone has to do some kind of work. "If we have to earn money, we must spend some to protect ourselves, too," he said.

"The target is retail business, not any community. I am cautious; I keep low cash (and) don't take money orders after 7:30 p.m."

Shah said he wears a panic alarm button, has a surveillance camera and writes down the license-plate numbers of customers at night.

He said he never sends employees out after dark.

Siddiqui, a Pakistani, said the target of robbers is not Southeast Asians but retail businesses.

He suggests that store operators remove posters that block the view. Managers should be observant and cautious. "Eye contact is important," he said.

He warns managers to check before opening their stores to see if anyone is waiting. And they should have a video camera and change the tapes regularly.

Siddiqui said he considers Houston safe and friendly. "Back home if a crime happens, you go to the police station; here the police go to you," he said.

He said that while the community is upset about the 11 slayings in six months, the seminars arranged by the department are not well-attended. "We must educate our community," he said.

Siddiqui said many robberies are not reported. People may avoid the police because of their experience or impression of police back home, and may avoid the courts for the same reason.

He said most Southeast Asians in Houston invest in grocery stores, dry cleaners, motels and real estate. "You have a lot of potential and scope here," he said. "The people are working hard and doing well. Our people are good at heart, (and) if you go to their place they treat you like a prince."

Sajan Mathai suspects these sorts of crimes have their roots in violence shown on TV or computer games, and he believes the culprits do not realize the impact their crimes have on families.

Asians here are generally educated people and have close-knit families, Mathai said.

"When someone comes to this land of opportunity, a lot of relatives back home depend on them," he said. "We don't go overboard with money or opportunity, we use it around the family or send it back to our country, therefore, when such tragedy strikes, the impact is not only on the immediate family but also on the extended family back home who depend on them somehow."

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