Dunkin' Store Manager Shot, Killed During Early Morning Robbery In North Philadelphia Identified As Christine Lugo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A manager of a donut shop in North Philadelphia's Fairhill section was shot and killed during a robbery early Saturday morning, police said. The incident took place at the Dunkin' located on the 500 block of West Lehigh Avenue just before 5:30 a.m.
Police identified the victim as 41-year-old Christine Lugo. Coworkers tell Eyewitness News she was a mother of two with a "kind heart and smile."
This case still has so many questions to be answered including why. Why senselessly kill this mother of two at a point-blank distance after surveillance video shows her giving the gunman cash from the register? Police need your help to find a man they say is armed and dangerous.
Surveillance video released by Philadelphia police shows a gunman, armed with a revolver, approaching a Dunkin' manager as she was opening her North Philadelphia store just after 5 a.m. Saturday.
Police said a man approached the 41-year-old woman as she was opening the store. According to police, the man, armed with a revolver, forced the woman inside toward a safe in the kitchen and eventually into a supply closet where the victim hands the suspect cash. According to police, the man then shot her in the head and fled the scene. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
Philadelphia police released surveillance video of the incident.
Eyewitness News was there as customers and coworkers found out it was their friend, 41-year-old Christine Lugo.
Friends and customers have decorated the front of the Dunkin Donuts in North Philadelphia where the manager was shot and killed as she was opening the store Saturday morning. Tonight, police are offering a $20K reward in the case. @CBSPhilly pic.twitter.com/dmxyR0WKrC
— Alicia Roberts (@ARobertsCBS) June 5, 2021
"She started this thing about paying for the person behind you," Randall Fleming said. "I'm not a rich man, but I would find out how much it would cost for their coffee or doughnuts or whatever they got, and I would pay for it behind me, and I got that from Christine."
"This was really the dagger, it hurts so much, so hard because innocent people are getting killed," Danny Davis said.
"She was a people person, oh God, it's hard," Ariel Rodriguez, a regular customer at the Dunkin', said.
Over and over, those who knew her, remembering how the mother of two always made everyone feel welcome.
"My favorite coffee, she always knew it was extra-large, eight sugars and extra cream, every single day," Rodriguez said.
"She helped everybody if you came here," one customer said. "You wanted something to eat, something to drink, she'd give it to you, without a problem."
As a memorial in her honor continues to grow, many are now asking why this happened.
"It must be something deeper in a person for you, you got the money, you still do it," a customer said.
"We are aware of the tragic incident that occurred at the Dunkin' restaurant on Lehigh Street in Philadelphia. All of us at Dunkin' are saddened to learn of the death of a restaurant manager, and our thoughts go out to her family and friends. The franchise owner is cooperating fully with the local authorities in their investigation. As this is an active police investigation, we defer any further comment to the Philadelphia Police Department.," Dunkin' said in a statement.
Police said there is a $20,000 reward for information that leads the suspect's arrest and conviction.
Anyone with information about the suspect's whereabouts is being asked to contact Philadelphia police.
CBS3's Alicia Roberts contributed to this report.