Insets, from left to right: Suspects Thomas Rendon, Alline Ndayishimiye, Dashaun Jackson and victim Paluku Valantin (Amarillo Police Department/Lighthouse Funeral and Cremation Services). Background: The 1100 block of Bluebell Street in Amarillo, Texas, where Paluku Valantin was killed (Google Maps).
A 57-year-old father of two was beaten to death in Texas by three people for his food stamp card, which was plucked from his pockets after the group pummeled the man and hit him over the head with a glass bottle, according to police officials.
Paluku Valantin, of Amarillo, was found by a local resident, who took him to his residence to recover from injuries that would later prove fatal. Those injuries were allegedly caused by suspects Thomas Rendon, 33, Alline Ndayishimiye, 30, Dashaun Jackson, 18, according to local CBS affiliate KFDA.
The Amarillo Police Department sent out news alerts after the incident describing how Valantin died inside the witness” home from head and facial injuries after being beaten in the 1100 block of Bluebell Street. Authorities told KFDA that Valantin had an EBT food stamp card that the suspects allegedly wanted to take from him.
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Security footage obtained by APD investigators allegedly shows Ndayishimiye approaching Valantin and demanding the card from him.
After Valantin refuses, Ndayishimiye allegedly signals to Rendon and Jackson to exit a black BMW that they are sitting in to come and assault the victim, who is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to cops.
Authorities located Ndayishimiye, Jackson and Rendon a day after the incident and booked them all on charges of aggravated robbery and murder. Witnesses said they allegedly took Valantin’s cellphone in addition to the EBT card.
The man who found him dying told police he thought Valantin had fallen asleep inside his bathroom before he eventually discovered that Valantin was dead. His obituary says he’s survived by two sons.
Online court records show that Ndayishimiye, Jackson and Rendon were still behind bars Monday awaiting their next court dates.
