Fresno: A man and woman terrorized two liquor stores Thursday fatally stabbing a clerk before being chased and caught by police and good Samaritans in an affluent northwest Fresno neighborhood police reported.

“It was a two-person crime spree for beer. God what a shame” said Fresno police Sgt Jim Jones. “I guess life isn’t worth much anymore in Fresno.”

Paramedics struggled to save Swaranjit. S. “Sonny” Sidhu 21 of Biola who staggered outside after being slashed in the throat during a struggle with the male robber but Sidhu was declared dead at Valley Medical Center shortly after arriving at the hospital said Jones.

Gordon Ray Sherman 35 of Fresno and Charlene Jones 35 of Auberry were being held in the Fresno County Jail on suspicion of murder robbery and conspiracy Jones said. The clerk who was threatened but not injured recognized the male suspect as having robbed the store at an earlier date Jones said.

The clerk was threatened but not injured recognized the male suspect as having robbed the store at an earlier date Jones said.

The man leapt the counter failed to open the cash register and fled with two 12-packs of beer police and witnesses said.

The man carrying a3-inch knife tossed the beer into a waiting car driven by a woman and turned to confront the clerk and two more men who followed him into the parking lot said witness Dominique Jaramillo.

Jaramillo and his fiancee Dara Clarke of Fresno said they followed the suspects’ car to the Bullard Plaza and parked across the street.

While Clarke called police Jaramillo and another motorist followed the suspects until police with guns drawn cornered them at Palm and Herndon Avenues.

While the suspects were being caught Sidhu bleeding badly stumbled outside and collapsed in front of the Save Mart store which was about 20 yards away.

Carmen Juarez who works at a nearby business was leaving her store when she saw the suspect running from the store.

“He was trembling” Juarez said.”His face and hands were full of blood…I knew something had happened. There were bottles broken and blood all over the store… I knew they fought” she said.

Paul R. Morris a frequent shopper at Bullard Liquor store and a friend of Sidhu said he had just spoken to him about the robbery of two nearby gas stations.

“I asked him if he was worried about being robbed and he said he wasn’t 1% worried about it” said Morris who was visibly shaken by the robbery.

“Crime…it is not just the poor people’s problem” Morris said. “You have million-dollar homes just two minutes away. It is everywhere.”

Sidhu a native of India came to the U.S. several years ago and was learning business principles at the liquor store before opening his own with his brother said Gian S. Rakkar a family friend and store co-owner. “He had a good future and now we have to go tell his parents and siblings in Binlai” Avtar S. Manjal also a family friend and store co-owner said.

“He was such a friendly guy so nice to everyone…but there was a river of blood” said Steve Mendoza a regular customer shaking his head sadly. “There was too much blood just too much blood.”

Article extracted from this publication >> April 24, 1992