- See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source
The widow of an elderly Filipino-American man has relived the devastating attack inside a Virginia Walmart which led to the death of her husband.
asserted
which → see → husband
Bert Atienza, 77, died a day after he was suddenly assaulted inside the store on June 7.
asserted
he → die → June
Erika Mitchell, 42, and Travis White, 44, now face second-degree murder charges, according to court records seen by News 3.
uncertain
Mitchell → face → News
Both are being held without bond.
asserted
Both → hold → bond
A 17-year-old Walmart employee also faces charges for assault and battery, aggravated malicious wounding, and conspiracy to commit a felony, according to the outlet.
uncertain
employee → face → outlet
Josephine Atienza, Bert's wife of 42 years, spoke about the horrifying moment her husband was brutally beaten in an interview with News 3.
asserted
husband → speak → News
Josephine said she and Bert went grocery shopping at the Walmart on North Military Highway after church that Sunday.
asserted
she → say → church
Bert got into an argument with a 17-year-old Walmart employee after they nearly struck Josephine with a cart and did not apologize, the widow added.
asserted
widow → get → cart
Josephine Atienza spoke for the first time publicly about the devastating death of her husband Bert, 77
Bert Atienza was assaulted in a Virginia Walmart in June.
asserted
Atienza → speak → June
He was brought to the hospital but died of his injuries one day after
Erika Mitchell, 42, and Travis White, 44, were charged with second-degree murder, according to court documents seen by News 3
'You almost hit my wife with your heavy cart, and you did not even say excuse me or apologize to her,' Josephine remembered Bert saying.
More words were exchanged before the employee threw a can at them as they walked away, she continued.
A few minutes later, she claims, the employee's parents arrived at the store and confronted Bert.
'They crowded my husband, one of the adults hit him in the face.
uncertain
one → bring → face
He fell down on the floor.
asserted
He → fall → floor
I don't know what's going on,' Josephine said.
asserted
Josephine → know → ?
Chilling surveillance footage shows the moments leading to Bert's death.
asserted
footage → show → death
The 77-year-old can be seen wearing a red t-shirt and strolling with a shopping cart through the supermarket aisle.
asserted
old → see → aisle
Suddenly, two people appear, one of whom removes the cart from Bert and violently pushes him against a shelf.
asserted
one → appear → shelf
The person can also be seen hitting and kicking the elderly man as he falls to the ground.
asserted
he → see → ground
The two attackers then walk away while Josephine is kneeling on the floor, holding her husband who does not move.
asserted
who → walk → husband
Walmart told News 3 that the 17-year-old employee at the center of the tragic incident no longer works at the store
Josephine and Bert were married for 42 years.
asserted
Josephine → tell → years
They dreamed of retiring in the Philippines where they first met
'
asserted
they → dream → Philippines
While he's on the floor, they're still kicking him and I told them stop.
asserted
I → kick → them
My husband has heart problems,' Josephine told News 3.
asserted
Josephine → have → News
She said she held her husband in her arms while other customers offered help.
asserted
customers → say → help
'My husband was still able to speak, he said: "help me, get up," but I told him no you're bleeding.
asserted
you → speak → him
Your mouth is bleeding.
asserted
mouth → bleed → ?
Ambulance is coming,' Josephine said.
asserted
Josephine → come → ?
I look at him again.
asserted
I → look → him
He has no more consciousness.'
asserted
He → have → consciousness
Bert was rushed to the hospital but died from his injuries the next day.
asserted
Bert → rush → injuries
The Medical Examiner's Office said the cause of death was blunt head trauma and manner of death was homicide.
asserted
manner → say → death
In a statement to News 3, Attorney James Broccoletti, who represents White, said the situation was not premeditated.
asserted
situation → represent → White
'They did not go there, intending for any of this to happen.
asserted
any → go → this
Their daughter called them.
asserted
daughter → call → them
She was distraught,' he said.
asserted
he → say → ?
They went, as any parent would do, to try to make sure that their daughter was safe and then the situation kind of erupted.
asserted
situation → go → ?
We think that the evidence establishes at best an assault because they punched the gentleman, there is some evidence my client may have kicked him, but that's simple assault, that's a misdemeanor.
uncertain
that → think → him
'There is nothing that goes further than that, that indicates that there was any chance or likelihood or probability that this man would die as a result of this.'
asserted
man → be → this
Josephine and Bert met decades ago when she was a bank teller and he was an accountant in the Philippines.
asserted
he → meet → Philippines
According to the widow, they had planned to retire there together.
uncertain
they → accord → widow
'We had many plans in our senior years.
asserted
We → have → years
We were planning to go home to the Philippines to retire and to be with his family, but now shattered,' Josephine said.
asserted
Josephine → plan → family
…and 5 more, not listed.
The Aporia
