Delbert Belton Murder Update: Second suspect arrested in beating death of Wash. WWII veteran, report says
(CBS) SPOKANE, Wash. -- Police in Washington have arrested a second suspect in the beating death of Delbert Belton, an 88-year-old World War II veteran, reports CBS affiliate KREM.
The 16-year-old boy was arrested just after 3 a.m. Monday in a basement apartment in Spokane, according to the report. The boy was reportedly arrested on first-degree robbery and first-degree murder warrants.
Another suspect surrendered to authorities Thursday night, and he was being held on charges of robbery and first-degree murder.
Belton, who was shot in the leg during the Battle of Okinawa, was beaten to death Wednesday outside an Eagles Ice-A-Rena. Authorities say two young men, between 16 and 19 years old, attacked Belton in his car outside the arena as he was waiting for a friend.
The victim's daughter-in-law said Belton was hit with "big heavy flashlights" and doctors told her he was bleeding from all parts of his face, reports the station.
"The way he died, you expect older people to die. But not that way," the daughter-in-law, Bobbie Belton, told the station. "They shouldn't have beaten him up. That was a bad thing. You don't do those kind of things."
Several others were arrested along with the 16-year-old Monday on charges of rendering criminal assistance, reports the station.
More than 100 reportedly attended a candlelight vigil for Belton on Friday.
