A family and community are mourning the loss of Chris Sgouromitis, the owner and clerk of Outpost Market. He was killed in his store February 21, 2021.
Cathedral City Police detectives say the brutal act was caught on camera. They released an image of the man, moments before he killed Chris. Initially, police thought thought it was a robbery, but now say they don’t know the motive. Those familiar with the case say the man who killed him in cold blood took nothing.
“He lost his life over nothing, over nothing,” says Ron “Boss” Towner, a customer and long time friend of the family.
“You didn’t even take the money, you just killed him, that’s not right, I feel really bad, I hope that somebody could say something about this and bring this guy to justice, because this is not right,” says Freddy Juarez, who came by to support the family.
A memorial outside the Cathedral City institution keeps growing. People keep coming by with flowers, candles, drawings and messages of love for the man with a big heart who was taken much too soon.
“Definitely the coolest dude anybody could ever know, he was an uncle not only to me but to anyone who came into the store,” says his nephew Trustin Sgouromitis, who also works at the family owned and operated store, that’s been in this community for nearly four decades.
Trustin says his uncle was more than the person behind the register, “He would always make sure you were doing alright and if you weren’t doing alright he’d tell you, ‘Hey what’s going on?’ … and that’s why a lot of these kids around here and a lot of adults that have grown up they know who Chris is … it’s one little conversation that has gotten a lot of people through.”
Boss says this family has taken care of this community for generations and Chris never let anyone go hungry or thirsty, “He was a good guy, like if you didn’t have it to get something you want it here he would say, ‘Don’t worry about it, get me next time,’ he cared about people.”
And like many, over time, he became more than a customer too, “I have a heart condition and this man used to pick me up from the hospital, made sure I‘m okay … he’s my family,” says Boss with tears in his eyes.
“It’s very hard, it hurt people, they’re not family but to me they were family,” says Juarez.
The family says they will carry on his legacy but will always wonder why his beautiful life had to end like this.
“We’re here we’re strong, we’re going to be here we’re going to figure this out, and unfortunately with what’s happened is something never something we can really get answers for,” says Trustin.
The family has not set up an account but the community has continued to show their support by dropping off donations.
The family says they’re grateful for the outpouring of support.
