Vancouver Forum: Slain Burnaby man may have been fighting thieves

This story reminds me of Grant DePatie, the 24-year old gas station attendant who tried to stop a car from leaving with $12.30 worth of gas which was not paid for by its driver. This resulted in his dragging death.

In the heat of the moment, I suppose it's a natural reaction to try and stop thieves, but obviously the theft of property is not worth ones life.


Friends of the Burnaby businessman who was killed Thursday morning say he was run down while trying to stop a thief - and police are asking the public to help identify the driver.

Investigators say 60-year-old Alberto Morgadinho was killed around 10:00 a.m. July 2, after an altercation with the driver of a red van.

"I guess he was on the vehicle," Morgadinho's friend Stephen Beattie said Friday. "You can see skid marks, they were trying to shake him off."

"That's when they sped up the street and he must have let go, and that was the end of it."

Investigators have yet to confirm his suspicions, but Beattie says Morgadinho had some large copper tubes stolen from his business last week.

Police are looking for the suspect vehicle, described as an older model Ford Econoline van, with a temporary operating permit and license plates - and the driver may be a repeat offender.

Surveillance photos from a separate robbery on June 14 have been released, and the van used is strikingly similar to the vehicle described in Thursday's incident.

Police are asking anyone who sees the suspect vehicle to contact 604-306-1832.

Meanwhile, Mogadinho's children are struggling to come to terms with the heartbreaking death of their father.

"His work and his family were number one for him," daughter Sonia Mogadinho-Hartwell said. "He had four beautiful grandchildren, who unfortunately won't get to know him because they are all so young."

The family is hoping a witness will come forward with information.

"If anyone knows anything, if anyone saw anything, to please, just report it and help us come to some justice for our family," Morgadinho's daugher said.

"We need closure."

Beattie's wife was working next door to Morgainho's business Thursday morning when she heard shouting.

By the time she ran outside to see what happened, Morganinho was at the side of the road, dying.

"She knelt down and rubbed his leg, told him to hang on while she phone 911," Beattie said.

"The beauty of it is supposedly your hearing is the last to go, so he knew someone was there. That must have been comforting."




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I think in some places in the States, if caught, that guy'd go ta a maximum security prison without possibility of parole. They'd treat him as Lock em and throw away the key. Or still in others like Texas, he'd be on Death Row.

This post has been edited by .or?: 04 July 2009 - 08:57 AM