Chinese-food driver seriously hurt in Chesterfield attack
A Chinese-food delivery driver was ambushed and seriously wounded yesterday in a robbery outside a church in Chesterfield County, marking the third attack on a food-delivery driver in the Richmond area in less than five months.
The victim, a 20-year-old man who worked for the Fu Wah Chinese Restaurant at Chippenham Square on Midlothian Turnpike, suffered a gash on top of his head and was losing consciousness as he described the assault to police, authorities said. He was taken to VCU Medical Center with injuries described as not life-threatening.
In the previous two attacks, one in Richmond and one in Henrico County, the drivers were shot to death.
The driver in yesterday's attack, whose name was not released, was called to deliver food to Friendship Memorial Baptist Church on Hicks Road, police said. As he was talking to a man about the food transaction in the parking lot, someone else hit him from behind with an unknown object, county police Capt. Kevin Smith said.
The church was closed when the assault took place. "We believe it was an ambush situation," Smith said.
The delivery driver was robbed of an undisclosed amount of money and his personal wallet, Smith said. He then returned to the restaurant, where employees called 911 about 4 p.m. Police said it was not clear how much time elapsed between the attack and the 911 call.
Police last night had no suspects or detailed descriptions of them.
The church sits on a relatively remote hill, and its parking lot barely is visible from Hicks Road. Smith said the robbers might have chosen the spot for those reasons. "They thought that one out," he said.
Fu Wah was open yesterday evening. Employees declined to comment, with one woman shaking her head and indicating that neither she nor anyone else there spoke English.
Yesterday's incident was at least the third violent attack on a Chinese-food delivery driver in the Richmond area since April.
My Lan Tran, the volunteer executive director of the Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce, said criminals target delivery drivers because some are new to the area, carry cash, and might not speak English well.
She said the recent attacks have rattled area Chinese-food delivery drivers. Tran, who lives in Henrico, said she has noticed that drivers don't stay as long at her house as they once did and hurry back to their cars.
In July, a Chinese-food delivery driver was shot to death at 11:35 p.m. in Richmond's Whitcomb Court public-housing project.
Authorities said the victim just had delivered an order of food to a nearby residence and was returning to his car when he was robbed and shot. He was walking from the house and was about halfway to his car when he was confronted.
The delivery order came from the Wan Jing Lou restaurant in the 1800 block of Creighton Road. An employee said the victim, whose identity has not been released, was not an employee of the restaurant but a friend helping the regular delivery driver.
In April on Easter night, Yong Sun, 36, was killed in the 500 block of Lowell Street in Henrico after making a delivery for The Great Wall Chinese Restaurant. He was shot through the driver's-side window. That shooting remains unsolved, but police believe it was an attempted robbery.
Contact Reed Williams at (804) 649-6332 or
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Reader Reactions
Sadly…good targets. No weapons, maybe some illegal aliens, making chump change, who can’t get a concealed weapons permit…all for a few bucks! Sad indeed.
What idiot robs a delivery driver? Are you that desperate for your sweet and sour pork? It’s not like delivery drivers carry massive amounts of cash, probably a few 5s and 1s to make change.
J-Reb,
Maybe you should read the article again. I’m referencing yesterday’s attack. You’re referencing the attack that occurred in April. Nice try though.
I’m afraid a ‘sting’ would be impractical, thousands of these deliveries take place every week.
BUT…. what about the telephone number that was used to place the order? ALL restaurants should use Caller ID, if they don’t already. That would constitute a lead, I’d think.
Posted by ( Mai-Tai ) on September 08, 2009 at 4:53 pm
When he pulled up and noticed no one was in the parking lot except for some random person(s), he should have conducted his business through a crack in the window or something.
Mai Tai, what part of “He was shot through the driver’s-side window.“ remains unclear to you?
How about a sting operation with these take out places, police. Catch these criminals
I don’t agree with what this criminal has done; however, what happened to common sense and street smarts?
I walk my dog in that field all the time and have never had a problem. When he pulled up and noticed no one was in the parking lot except for some random person(s), he should have conducted his business through a crack in the window or something.
It’s really sad when people who are working hard, trying to make a living are assaulted by low life trash who would not know work if it bit them in the rear.
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