Wilmington store owner brutally beaten during robbery, family calling for harsher charges against suspect
WILMINGTON, Del. - Nearly a month after a 68-year-old jewelry store owner was brutally attacked during a mid-morning robbery, his family is speaking out about the day that changed all of their lives forever.
At around 10:40 a.m., Wilmington police say they responded to the 100 block of West 9th Street for reports of a robbery. In a surveillance video later released by the family, you can see the suspect, later identified as 39-year-old Calvin Ushery, brutally beat the owner of Solid Gold Jewelers, Chang Suh, inside his store.
Steven Suh, the victim's son, and members of the Wilmington City Council, spoke about the robbery on Wednesday during a press conference. Suh described the brutality of his father's beating, and he's calling for more charges against Ushery.
"The perpetrator stomped on my father's head during the course of 25 minutes, delivering his last blows with a hammer. Through the grace of God, my father was able to call 911 and come away from this near deadly encounter alive," said Suh.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Video: Delaware jewelry store owner brutally beaten by armed robbery suspect
Solid Gold Jewelers, which Chang's family describes as his lasting legacy, has been in business for nearly 40 years. Before immigrating to the United States, Suh says his father was a stock boy before he opened several of his own businesses. Now, the hard-working entrepreneur is relearning how to walk and talk again.
"He is no longer the same," said Suh. "The person who I respect and admire the most is now handicap and his cognitive abilities are far below normal."
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Wilmington Police arrested Ushery on September 22, and they say he has since been charged for several crimes, including felony robbery. For the Suh family, those charges just aren't harsh enough as they're calling on the Delaware State Attorney's Office to also charge Ushery with attempted murder.
"Calvin Ushery Jr. should not be on the streets where he can terrorize elderly business owners ever again. We don’t want any other family to experience what we are going through," said Suh.
Council member at large, James Spadola, says Ushery has a lengthy criminal history.
"Our criminal justice system needs to meet people where they are and when someone shows a propensity to commit violence with weapons, we need to believe them and deal with them seriously, so they’re not back out on the streets," said Spadola.
The Suh family says they are not sure if the jewelry store will reopen. A GoFundMe page has been created to help the Suh's get back on their feet. Anyone interested in donating can access the GoFundMe here.