April 4, 1987 Henry Neil Cuesta, 17 year old movie theater cashier in Santa Monica, CA Mann Wilshire Theater murdered during Robbery

[wts1414x5]

On April 4, 1987, 17 year old Henry Neil Cuesta was working as a cashier at the Mann Wilshire movie theater on Wilshire Blvd in Santa Monica, California. Cuesta and a 24 year old manager were confronted in a remote office during a showing of Platoon by an armed assailant. The suspect followed the victims into the office demanding money, ordering the victims to lie on the floor. When told there was no money, both victims were shot with a small handgun.

Henry Cuesta died of a gunshot wound shot wound to the head. A witness and victim, 24 year old James Randell, was shot in the neck.

The Los Angeles times published a small story in the attached crime report with other stories.

The case has never been solved and dropped from any headlines.

 

[wts1414x5]

Henry Cuesta’s parents; ‘we stayed too long’ - Santa Monica Outlook, April 7, 1987.

 

[Beautiful Rose]

The father of Henry N., the victim, was a 3rd cousin to my grandfather. The father, Henry, was a clarinetist who often played on the Lawrence Welk show. I am so sad that this case was never solved and that it appears to be cold. Henry N. was too young to die so tragically.

 

[wts1414x5]

The movies “Blind Date” and “Platoon” were playing at the time. The assailant confronted Henry Cuesta and James Randell in a remote office after ticket receipts were already deposited in a safe in another location. The theater was next to a jewelry store (photo). The suspect is a white male, medium build, 180 lbs, hair just over the ears, wore roundish metal frame glasses with tint, clean shaven.