A routine Sunday grocery trip turned deadly for a 77-year-old Virginia man who authorities say was assaulted inside a Walmart following a dispute involving a teenage employee.
Bert Atienza of Virginia Beach died June 8, one day after the confrontation at the Walmart at 1170 North Military Highway in Norfolk.
Norfolk Police said officers were called to the store at about 3:50 p.m. on June 7 for a reported assault. First responders found Atienza unresponsive and rushed him to a hospital, where he later died.
The Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later determined that Atienza died from blunt head trauma and ruled his death a homicide.
His wife of 42 years, Josephine Atienza, has now given a detailed account of what she says happened in the minutes leading up to the fatal encounter.
Josephine told WTKR that she and her husband had attended church that Sunday before stopping at Walmart to buy groceries.
While they were shopping, she said a 17-year-old Walmart employee came down an aisle pushing a cart and nearly struck her.
According to Josephine, Bert confronted the employee about the near collision and the lack of an apology.
She said the exchange escalated verbally before the teenager allegedly threw a can toward the couple as they walked away. The can did not hit them, according to her account.
The Atienzas continued shopping.
Minutes later, Josephine said, the teenager’s parents arrived at the Walmart and confronted Bert.
“They crowded my husband, one of the adults hit him in the face,” Josephine told WTKR. “He fell down on the floor.”
Store surveillance footage obtained by the station shows Bert being assaulted in an aisle. Josephine said he was struck while standing and continued to be attacked after falling to the floor.
She said she pleaded for the assault to stop and warned that her husband had heart problems.
Afterward, Josephine held Bert as other shoppers offered assistance.
At one point, she said, he was still able to speak and asked her to help him get up. She refused because he was bleeding and told him an ambulance was coming.
Moments later, she said, he lost consciousness.
Norfolk Police initially charged Erika Mitchell, 42, and Travis White, 44, both of Norfolk, with malicious wounding by mob, aggravated malicious wounding and conspiracy to commit a felony. Both were ordered held without bond.
Since then, the case has become significantly more serious.
Court records reviewed by WTKR show Mitchell and White n
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