Friday, March 7, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
Two youths are being sought in the slaying of a food vendor who was shot as he wheeled his converted gray shopping cart down the street.
Alberto Baez, 24, a Mexican national, died Monday of a gunshot wound to the face, a day after he refused to give a hot corn on the cob for free -- the price of the product was $1 -- to two thugs.
Metro Police detectives, believing the youths live in the area of the 2700 block of San Marcos Street, where the incident occurred, were to conduct a door-to-door search of the neighborhood this morning.
Witnesses described the suspects as black and in their teens -- one possibly 14-16 and the other 15-17 -- and both short and thin. The younger-looking one is about 5 feet 3 and 110 pounds, while the other is about 5 and 4 and 120 pounds.
The younger-looking suspect, whom police say was the gunman, is described as light-skinned with half-inch curly hair. He was last seen wearing gray pants, black and white gym shoes and a T-shirt with numerous color checks of orange, brown and red.
The other suspect is described by police as having darker skin with hair that stands straight up about two inches on top. The hair along the sides, however, is shaved. He was last seen wearing black pants and a T-shirt with numerous color checks of orange, red, black and brown.
Police said after Baez refused to give the youths a free cob, the younger-looking teen hit Baez in the face. Baez then struck the youth with the cob stick, police said.
The youth then stepped back, pulled a small handgun from his waistband and shot Baez in the face -- the bullet piercing an eye, police said of the 2:40 p.m. Sunday incident in the neighborhood near Carey Avenue and Pecos Road.
Both youths then fled by cutting through residential yards toward Pecos Road, as the vendor lay in a pool of blood -- the stick of corn at his side on the asphalt just below the cart's handle bar, police said.
The victim, believed to be an illegal alien, was on life support machines and listed in critical condition from his arrival at the University Medical Center until his death.
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