A shoplifting investigation at a Walmart in Suwanee turned deadly Saturday night after two fleeing suspects hit and killed a father of two as they drove away, authorities said.
Christian Gutierrez, 42, of Sugar Hill, who was walking into the store with his wife, son and daughter, was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident, which happened at the store on Lawrenceville Suwanee Road, Suwanee police spokesman Lt. Robert Thompson confirmed.
Credit: Suwanee Police Department
Credit: Suwanee Police Department
About 9 p.m., witnesses reported seeing two men shoplifting inside the store, Thompson said. Investigators told Channel 2 Action News that they filled two carts with expensive electronics and then walked past the registers toward the door. When a Walmart loss prevention officer confronted the men, they ditched the items, ran into the parking lot and drove off in a U-Haul van, authorities said.
While leaving the lot, the van hit Gutierrez and dragged him about 100 yards onto Satellite Boulevard, according to investigators.
“They were there to go Christmas shopping for the family and this ended up happening,” Thompson told Channel 2.
Credit: GoFundMe
Credit: GoFundMe
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family with expenses. The page’s organizer, Jose Phon, is Gutierrez’s cousin.
“He was the kindest, most decent person you could meet, full of love and compassion,” he wrote on the page. “Chris would take any opportunity to help anyone in need. Last week alone, he stopped three times on the highway to help people stranded on the side in their cars. He was an amazing father, husband, son, brother, cousin, and friend. A great human being.”
The identities of the suspects are not known. Police are searching for the U-Haul van, which is believed to have an Arizona tag AJ38446.
The case is one of two unsolved deaths in Suwanee within four months. On July 27, 18-year-old William Petty, a recent graduate of North Gwinnett High School, was found stabbed to death at the Residences at McGinnis Ferry apartment complex. It was the city’s first homicide since 2012.
Anyone with information on either case is asked to contact Suwanee police at 770-945-8995.
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