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Alleged Brooklyn Porn Store Killer Caught On Surveillance Camera
By
Ben Yakas
Published Nov 20, 2011
Modified Nov 20, 2011
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via NY1
By
Ben Yakas
Published Nov 20, 2011
Modified Nov 20, 2011
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Early yesterday morning, a Sri Lankan immigrant working as an overnight clerk at a Brooklyn porn shop was beaten to death in what cops believe was a botched robbery. Nimala Randunu, 54, was bludgeoned to death around 12:30 a.m. at Video Xcitement Inc. on 3rd Avenue near 25th Street. It turns out that a 60-year-old customer was in a private video booth at the time of the incident; when he came out, he found Randunu dead and the attacker fleeing, and quickly called police.
Although the assault happened just out of range of the surveillance video, police have released a video and image of the Yankees-cap wearing alleged killer rifling through the store (you can see the video at NY1). The Hispanic suspect, who had a black garbage bag with him, took some DVD containers and tried to take money from the register before leaving the store. Police still aren't certain whether this was a robbery-gone-wrong or not: “He does remove property from the location, but we’re not sure if that is the motive. He could have got into a dispute with this guy over something, and kills him,” one official told the Times.
The store owner said that Randunu is the married father of a son and daughter, who are all in Sri Lanka. “Oh, my God, what am I going to say? I need to fly there,” he said to the Times. People who knew the victim told NY1 he usually worked nights and would send money back to family in Sri Lanka. "He has no choice, he has no choice. You have to make a living, any way of that. A lot of people have to work any job. You have no choice," said liquor store employee Bart Rodriguez.
Several adult store owners in the area said that business had been getting worse and worse lately: "I'm not surprised that it happened. Always like drunks or some kind of people might go in there, especially at nighttime. You never know what's going to happen," said Lev Belman, the owner of GG Tub and Tile. Janaka Dealwis told the Times his adult store was held up three years ago. He added that they used to get 20-25 customers a night, and now only 10 if they're lucky: “Now it’s a dead business because of the Internet. I’m going to close soon because there’s no money and a lot of headaches.”
Tagged
botched robbery
brooklyn
death
nypd
porn store
sunset park
video excitement
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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