Parents of Walmart Employee Charged After Elderly Man Dies Following Virginia Store Assault

The post Parents of Walmart Employee Charged After Elderly Man Dies Following Virginia Store Assault first appeared on Crafting Your Home.

A 77-year-old man died after an assault inside a Walmart in Norfolk, Virginia, following a dispute involving a teenage store employee and the man’s wife, according to police, medical officials, and local news reports. The victim, Bert D. Atienza of Virginia Beach, was found unresponsive after the June 7 incident at the Walmart at 1170 N. Military Highway. He was taken to a hospital and died the following day. The Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that Atienza died from blunt head trauma and classified his death as a homicide.

Two adults, Erika Mitchell, 42, and Travis White, 44, were initially arrested on several charges connected to the assault. Court records later showed that both faced second-degree murder charges. They remain in custody without bond, according to recent reporting.

A 17-year-old Walmart employee also faces criminal charges. Because she is a minor, authorities and news reports have not publicly identified her.

What Happened at the Norfolk Walmart?

Norfolk Police said officers were called to the Walmart on North Military Highway at about 3:50 p.m. on June 7 following a report of an assault. First responders found Atienza unresponsive at the store. He was transported to a hospital, where he died on June 8.

Police initially said their investigation determined that Atienza had been involved in an altercation with other people inside the store before the physical assault. At that stage, detectives charged Mitchell and White with malicious wounding by mob, aggravated malicious wounding, and conspiracy to commit a felony.

The case later changed significantly as the investigation and court proceedings progressed. Recent reports citing court records say Mitchell and White now face second-degree murder charges.

How Did the Dispute Begin?

The circumstances leading to the assault have been described primarily through an account given by Atienza’s widow, Josephine Atienza, to WTKR. Josephine said she and her husband went to Walmart after church to buy groceries. She said a 17-year-old employee moved quickly through the aisle with a shopping cart and nearly struck her.

According to Josephine, Bert confronted the employee and objected that she had almost hit his wife and had not apologized. She said the two exchanged words before the couple continued shopping. Josephine also told WTKR that the employee threw a can toward the couple as they walked away, although it did not hit either of them.

These details come from Josephine’s account and should be understood as such. Norfolk Police’s initial public statement described the incident more generally as an altercation inside the store and did not provide the same level of detail.

What Happened During the Assault?

According to Josephine’s account and surveillance footage described by WTKR, the confrontation continued after the initial argument. Josephine said the teenage employee contacted her parents. She told WTKR that Mitchell and White later arrived inside the store and confronted Bert while he and Josephine were still shopping.

WTKR reported that surveillance video showed Atienza being approached and physically assaulted. The footage reportedly shows him being shoved and punched before he fell near shelving. The report also said one of the people involved kicked him after he was on the floor.

Josephine said she tried to stop the attack and remained with her husband after he was injured. She told WTKR that Bert could initially speak and asked for help getting up. She said she noticed that he was bleeding and told him that an ambulance was coming. She later realized he had lost consciousness.

Emergency responders subsequently took Atienza to a hospital, where he died the next day.

What Did the Medical Examiner Determine?

The medical findings provide one of the clearest established facts in the case. The Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that Atienza’s cause of death was blunt head trauma and classified the manner of death as homicide.

A homicide classification means that the death resulted from the actions of another person. It does not, by itself, establish any particular defendant’s criminal responsibility. The criminal justice process determines that question. Norfolk Police had initially described Atienza as an unresponsive 77-year-old man when officers arrived at the Walmart. The police statement confirmed that he later died from his injuries at a hospital.

What Charges Does the Teenage Employee Face?

The 17-year-old Walmart employee faces charges arising from the incident. Norfolk Police initially said she was charged with assault and battery, aggravated malicious wounding, and conspiracy to commit a felony. Police said she was being held at the Norfolk Juvenile Detention Center. Because she was 17 at the time of the incident, her name has not been publicly released in the reporting reviewed for this article.

Recent reporting also says the teenager is no longer employed by Walmart. A Walmart representative told WTKR that the company was cooperating with law enforcement and had no further comment.

What Happens Next in the Virginia Case?

The next stage of the case will be determined through the Virginia criminal court system.

The adult defendants now face second-degree murder charges according to recent reports citing court records. Their attorneys may challenge the charges, the evidence, or how the events are interpreted. Prosecutors, meanwhile, must establish the elements of the charged offenses through the legal process.