Police searching for person of interest in Southwark homicide
SOUTHWARK (WTXF) - Investigators are searching for a person of interest in a Southwark homicide.
The incident occurred on March 3 at 9:10 p.m. in the area of 500 Washington Avenue.
According to police, the owners of Lee's Cafe & Bistro flagged down officers in the area regarding one of their employees.
The officers were taken to the basement of the business which is the food prep/kitchen area.
When they entered, officers found the victim lying on the floor with a large cut across her throat.
Medics responded to the scene and the victim was pronounced at 9:15 p.m. She has been identified as 54-year-old Thoung Nguyen from the 2000 block of Emily Street.
According to initial reports, Nguyen was employed as the cook of the restaurant and was in the basement preparing food with another employee who goes by the name "Noel."
The business owner sent an order to the kitchen and after 10 minutes he did not receive any food. He went down into the basement and found the victim alone, lying on the floor with her throat slashed.
The person of interest is identified as 27-year-old Honduran National Noel Ortea Lemus del Cid.
He is 5'6", with a thin to medium build, and works in the restaurant field as a kitchen helper. He may have a cut to one of his hands and drives a white SUV.