Caught on Camera: Shooting Death of Store Clerk, Mother of 5

A gunman shot and killed Martha Sanchez one month ago at Happy Bargain 99 Cent Store

Investigators released new images Wednesday in a search for leads in the shooting death of a mother of five who was gunned down during a robbery as she was working her shift as a clerk at a South LA store.

Martha Sanchez, 39, was shot and killed on the night of Sept. 17 at the Happy Bargain 99 Cent Store in the 7400 block of South Broadway. A gunman walked into the store and shot Sanchez several times.

A customer found the mother of five children, ages 3 to 19, and phoned for help. Sanchez later died at a hospital.

Detectives have few details regarding the gunman's description, but released new surveillance video (embedded below) of a man they believe robbed then killed Sanchez as she finished her shift.

A carefully selected portion of the surveillance footage was released Wednedsay. The images do not show the man's face and investigators said they are intentionally withholding a portion of the video that shows him entering the store.

"Some of it you will never see," LAPD Detective Eric Crosson said. "A jury, hopefully, someday will see this, but not you guys, not the public."

Investigators believe the man lives in the South LA neighborhood where Sanchez worked and was killed, and may have walked right by pedestrians in the half hour before the slaying.

"If he decided that he needed to kill an unharmed woman by herself in a store, i can't image that there's anybody he wouldn't be willing to hurt," Crosson said.

A man in custody on an unrelated charge is now a person of interest in Sanchez's slaying, LAPD said. Investigators are hoping citizens can identify the suspected killer and confirm their suspicions that he is already in custody.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Los Angeles Police Department.

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