Three days after a Chinese-food delivery driver was slain in a Richmond robbery, authorities still weren't sure of his identity, but that didn't stop people in the area from coming to his aid.
The Central Virginia Chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans has set up an account to take donations to help the victim's family with funeral and travel expenses.
"Somewhere in China, a parent has lost their child and does not yet know," John Kang, the group's president, said yesterday. "There may be a spouse who does not know she has been widowed. There may be children who do not know they have lost a father.
"While no amount of money can ease that pain, at the very least we can reduce their financial burden in coming here."
The man who is the subject of the group's relief efforts was found fatally shot Monday at 11:35 p.m. in the 2400 block of Whitcomb Street in the city's Whitcomb Court public-housing complex.
Richmond police have released few details about the investigation, but authorities said the victim was a young Asian man who had just delivered an order from the Wan Jing Lou restaurant to a residence and was returning to his car when he was robbed and fatally shot. The victim was about halfway to his car when he was confronted.
An employee of the restaurant in the 1800 block of Creighton Road said the victim was not an employee but a friend helping the regular delivery driver.
This is the second time in recent months that the local chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans has mobilized to help after the shooting of a delivery driver.
In April, Yong Sun, 36, was killed in the 500 block of Lowell Street in Henrico County after making a delivery for The Great Wall Chinese Restaurant. The shooting remains unsolved, but police believe it was an attempted robbery turned homicide.
Kang's group collected donations to help bring Sun's widow, brother and father to the Richmond area for a funeral before they returned to China with his ashes. The group also helped expedite visas for Sun's relatives, drove them around Richmond and provided translation when the family met with police, funeral-home workers and others.
Kang said it's not a role the group envisioned when it formed many years ago as a cultural and social organization.
"However, at times like this, we have always stood ready to assist when we can," he said. "We do much of this out of empathy -- the need to take care of someone when no one else can or will advocate for them."
The Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce said violence targeting delivery drivers will be one of the subjects discussed when the group holds a legislative summit Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Ukrop's Super Markets Inc. support center, 2001 Maywill St., Suite 100, in Richmond.
Richmond police spokesman James Mercante said the department yesterday was continuing to work with State Department officials in an effort to confirm the identity of the victim of Monday's homicide.
Meantime, Richmond police are offering up to $2,000 in reward money for information leading to an arrest in the case.
Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers anonymously at (804) 780-1000 or the police department's TIPS line at (804) 514-TIPS (8477).
People who want to contribute to the fund for the unidentified victim's family can go to area Wachovia bank branches and ask to have their donations placed in the Organization of Chinese Americans charity fund.
Contact Joe Macenka at (804) 649-6804 or jmacenka@timesdispatch.com.
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