Man convicted in fatal beating and second attack

A Richmond man was convicted yesterday for fatally beating one man in an abandoned house and for beating another man nearly to death behind the Golden Food Market the same day.

Jose Raul Gaitan, 27, entered an Alford plea to a charge of second-degree murder, meaning he does not admit guilt but acknowledges there is enough evidence to convict him. He also pleaded guilty to malicious wounding.

Both attacks took place March 29 within a couple of blocks along Jefferson Davis Highway. The second occurred behind the Golden Food Market -- the scene of a June shooting and also of a gunfight a month later that left a would-be robber fatally wounded.

In the two beatings in March, Gaitan had faced charges of first-degree murder and aggravated malicious wounding, the same charges his co-defendant now faces. His convictions on the lesser charges were part of an agreement with prosecutors.

His co-defendant, Jose C. Bello-Garcia, 25, is set to appear in court this morning.

"They were two savage beatings," said Richmond Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Tim Martin. "Each one could have resulted in death."

The first incident took place in an abandoned house behind a mobile-home park along Jeff Davis.

Authorities believe the two defendants and Baudilio Lopez-Andres, 52, of the 2900 block of Jefferson Davis, were drinking at the house, when the defendants attacked Lopez-Andres, using their fists, feet and construction debris.

"They literally pounded the guy to death," Martin said. "They left the scene before he actually died." Police were summoned at 11:56 a.m.

Lopez-Andres died two days later.

According to authorities, the two defendants then went with another man, who had witnessed the beating of Lopez-Andres, to get beer at Golden Food Market.

After that, according to Martin, the defendants took the man behind the store about 12:40 p.m. and beat him over the course of about a half-hour, taking breaks between beatings.

"The guy would stumble around and they would hit him and pound him," Martin said. "They beat him to within an inch of his life."

Gaitan's lawyer, James L. McLemore, said last night that he would not comment on the case until after his client is sentenced Oct. 29. Bello-Garcia's attorney could not be reached last night.

Authorities say they don't know what prompted either of the March 29 attacks.

The two incidents occurred about 2½ months before the first shooting at Golden Food Market on June 12, when two robbers walked into the store and one opened fire, shooting a man behind the counter six times in his legs.

On July 11, a would-be robber, James Grooms III, entered the store and shot the store owner, who was behind the counter. But an armed friend of the owner fatally wounded Grooms during a shootout.

Contact Reed Williams at (804) 649-6332 or .