Reward offered in slaying of Gardena shop owner

A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the conviction of two men who fatally shot a 51-year-old woman while robbing her Gardena T-shirt shop

Hae Sook Roh of Harbor City was shot at Shirt 6 for $10, her store in the 2300 block of West Rosecrans Avenue, about 6:45 p.m. Monday, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lt. David Coleman.

A family friend, Elizabeth Kim, said the mother of two had lived in the area for at least 15 years and owned the store for five years.

“I loved the way she did business,” said former customer Felita Hammond, 40, who came to the store Tuesday after she heard about the shooting.

Hammond said she last saw Roh at the store Sunday, Mother’s Day, and Roh asked about her family.

“To hear this happen,” Hammond said, “It broke my heart.”

“She was a wonderful person to our community,” added Jane Wilson, 51, who said she often bought T-shirts at Roh’s store for her grandchildren.

Investigators said the gunman who shot Roh was in his 20s and covered his face with a bandanna. He wore shorts, a black jacket and white T-shirt. The man with him was about 20 and was wearing a blue shirt and blue jeans.

On the store’s surveillance video, the men can be seen entering the store, speaking with Roh and then opening fire with a handgun. The pair then fled with an undisclosed amount of cash and were last seen running west through the strip mall parking lot, Coleman said.

Another shop owner told Gardena police she heard the gunfire and went to investigate. She discovered Roh , lying on the floor and called for help, Gardena police Lt. Uikilifi Niko said.

Roh, who had been shot three times in the torso, was taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where she died Monday night, Coleman said.

The reward is being offered by the city of Gardena.

Anyone with information on the case can call the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com