News

WW2 Vet, 88, Beaten To Death

by Jenny Hollander

One of two suspects wanted by police for the fatal beating of a World War II veteran has been placed in custody.

On Wednesday evening, Delbert Belton, 88, visited a lounge near his home in Spokane, Wash. Belton was a regular pool-player at the Eagles Lounge, and was last seen waiting outside for a friend so she wouldn't have to walk home alone. Police later found him in the lounge's parking lot, apparently beaten by flashlights, with serious head injuries. He passed away Thursday.

"It appears he was assaulted in the parking lot, and there was no indication that he would have known these people prior to the assault," a Spokane lieutenant at a press conference devoted to the incident said.

Officials have no clue what any motive might have been, but two teenagers, now suspects in the murder investigation, were caught on surveillance tapes. Police released stills of the two teenagers, and on Friday morning, a 16-year-old was arrested. His name was not released due to his age.

Belton had served in the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, and was shot in the leg there. He was a retired aluminum company worker, and his wife died several years ago. He also had a son, who is 65.

Friends and family of Belton testified that the 88-year-old had a "heart of gold," and would "do anything for anyone." Tributes are overflowing outside the Eagles Lounge.