Victim’s Mother at Restaurant During Shooting : 2 Teens Arrested in Slaying of Bartender

Two North Hollywood teen-agers have been arrested in connection with the slaying of a bartender who was shot to death in front of his visiting mother during an apparent robbery attempt at the North Hollywood restaurant where he worked, police said Monday.

Lydell Magee, 18, and a 17-year-old boy were taken into custody over the weekend, Lt. Ron LaRue said.

LaRue said police have been unable to determine a motive for the shooting of Wayne Paris. No money was taken from the cash register or customers.

“There’s no indication that anybody did something in the bar that might have provoked him, or if one person moved a little too fast,” LaRue said about the suspect. “Maybe he just got nervous. They were not accomplished robbers.

“There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. It was a senseless killing.”

Paris, 38, who had worked at Wellington’s restaurant and bar for the last 18 months, was shot and killed at 11:50 p.m. Thursday when a man entered the bar with a rifle, mumbled some words about robbing the bar and opened fire, LaRue said. The man then fled on foot, he said.

Among the patrons at the lounge that evening was Mary Shelter, Paris’ mother who came from Pennsylvania about a week ago to visit her son. The two had not seen each other for three years, friends said.

Also injured in the shooting were two customers, Keith Poppe, 40, and Armand Bouzas, 35. Both were listed in stable condition Monday, LaRue said.

The 17-year-old youth, whose name was not released by police because he is a juvenile, waited outside during the incident, LaRue said.

Working on tips from an informer, police arrested the juvenile Friday night as he was walking in the 10700 block of Bloomfield Street in North Hollywood. Magee was arrested by Riverside police on Saturday when Los Angeles police informed them that he might be in the area.

Police planned to ask the district attorney’s office today to file murder charges against the pair.

LaRue said Paris’ mother returned to Pennsylvania Monday night to make arrangements for the funeral, which will be held there.