She was murdered in an Atlanta wine bar. Now cops are hunting for the last suspect
In November, three masked men stormed into the Barcelona Wine Bar in northwest Atlanta. Surveillance cameras captured them as they terrorized and taunted restaurant employees before tying them up with electrical tape.
But the manager, 29-year-old Chelsea Beller, was forced upstairs into an office where the restaurant kept its safe. At gunpoint, she was told to open it - and she did. Then she was shot in the shoulder.
She died later at Grady Memorial Hospital, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Two months later, police have two people in custody- and are asking for help tracking down the final suspect.
The robbery and killing on November 19 sent a shockwave through the community.
“There are no adequate words to describe how heartbroken we are. Chelsea Beller was a beautiful soul taken from all of us way too soon. We will remember her as a loving daughter, fiercely loyal friend, and incredible source of energy & inspiration to us, her Barcelona family,” the restaurant wrote on Facebook after the shooting.
“Chelsea once shared that her goal while working at Barcelona was to ‘make at least one person happy every day.’ We know she exceeded every expectation in that regard. It won’t be easy, and we’ll have to take it day by day, but we aim to get back to doing what Chelsea did so well, serving our community with a gracious approach to warm, genuine hospitality.”
A memorial fund was set up for Chelsea, which has reached about $28,000 by mid-January.
Atlanta police announced an unusually large reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspects - $7,000, up from the standard $2,000. “The robbery and murder of an innocent restaurant manager doing her job is a terrible crime that has shocked even the most jaded among us here at APD,” Atlanta police spokesman Carlos Campos told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“This has been about the worst crime I have seen that was captured by a video or surveillance camera,” said Atlanta Police Maj. Adam Lee, according to 11 Alive.
In December, police arrested the first suspect in the attack, 21-year-old Samuel Ott, after his DNA matched evidence at the crime scene. He was charged with felony murder, aggravated assault, kidnapping and false imprisonment, reported CBS 46.
“It’s only a matter of time before the evidence will lead us to the other two who carried out this cold-blooded and cowardly act. I’m proud of the work of our Homicide Unit, as well as the work of the Fugitive Unit in tracking down this suspect,” police told the AJC after the arrest. “We will not rest until the other suspects are in custody.”
Police kept up the search, and announced Friday they had charged a second suspect, 20-year-old Carlous Bailey, for his role in the robbery. Bailey, already in the Dekalb County Jail for his alleged role in a separate crime, was charged with murder and armed robbery, Atlanta police said on Facebook.
“I can assure you we will not rest until all the suspects in this case are in custody,” Atlanta police Chief Erika Shields told the AJC.
There is now only one suspect remaining to be found, with the reward for information leading to his arrest now standing at $40,000. Anonymous tips can be provided by calling 404-577-TIPS or by contacting the Atlanta Police Department at (404) 546-4235.
This story was originally published January 16, 2018 at 12:37 PM with the headline "She was murdered in an Atlanta wine bar. Now cops are hunting for the last suspect."