ARREST NOT A COMFORT; STORE OWNER STILL GRIEVES FOR SLAIN WIFE.

Byline: Michael Coit Daily News Staff Writer

For three years, shopkeeper Kamlesh Prajapati has anguished over the loss of his wife and the mystery of the men who killed her over a 12-pack of beer.

On Friday, authorities announced a suspect has been charged with the murder, and detectives said they are on the trail of his suspected accomplice.

For Prajapati, the news was frustratingly bittersweet, and does nothing to ease the loss of his wife, their daughter's mother.

``I don't know if I am happy or sad,'' he said during a news conference announcing the hunt for the second suspect. ``On one side I'm glad; on one side I'm sad. Why do people have to kill? Why do they hurt people?''

The Prajapati family was concerned over the Los Angeles Police Department's commitment to the case at one point but no longer.

``They worked hard. They got one suspect, and the other one is very near,'' said Brem Prajapati, brother of Kamlesh Prajapati. ``Everybody worked, and finally we are at justice. So we're very glad.''

Detectives said they have solved the slaying of Jyotsna Prajapati because, with the decline in homicides citywide, they have had more time to focus on older, stalled investigations.

``This is an example of what detectives are able to do when we have the time to look at these cases,'' said Capt. Kyle Jackson, commander of the Van Nuys Operations-Support Division, which includes detectives.

The story of the Prajapatis is one of toil and determination, now crossed by tragedy.

Jyotsna Prajapati and her husband, from India, had struggled since 1993 to earn a living from the Top Produce Market, a small neighborhood market on Van Nuys Boulevard.

She was shot in the head in July 1995 after she tried to stop two gang members from walking out with a 12-pack of beer. Her husband was running errands at the time, and their daughter, Atithi, then 2 years old, was sleeping beneath the counter.

Police detectives said they identified Aaron Reynoso as the suspected gunman a year ago but didn't seek charges until recently because they lacked enough evidence. Their case gained strength as more witnesses came forward, aided by a standing $25,000 reward offered by the City Council.

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged the 19-year-old with murder, robbery, burglary and a special allegation that he used a handgun to kill Prajapati. Reynoso, 16 at the time of the killing, has been in custody on an unrelated weapons offense, Detective Dave Escoto said.

Police also said Fernando Carbajal, 19, is wanted for questioning as a suspect. Escoto said Carbajal, also 16 at the time of the slaying, is a member of a separate gang and went inside the market with Reynoso.

``They're running partners,'' Escoto said. ``Our information is they went to do a beer run, to walk in a store, grab beer and run out without paying. In this case, the victim attempted to stop them, and Reynoso shot her.''

Carbajal has been linked to the crime for several weeks and is believed to still be in the Van Nuys area, police said.

Escoto said police want Reynoso tried as an adult even though he was a juvenile at the time of the murder. He said police would do the same for Carbajal if he is arrested and charged.

Police officials and Councilman Joel Wachs, who pushed for the council-issued reward, said Friday that gaining charges against Reynoso was gratifying and that they are confident of arresting Carbajal.

``It almost feels like a victory party, although it's one we wish we never had,'' Wachs said.

There have been seven homicides in the Van Nuys Division through October, compared with 15 during the same period a year ago. Homicides across the entire Valley Bureau are down to 60 from 71, and homicides across the city are down to 349 from 493 for the same period, according to police.

CAPTION(S):

4 Photos

PHOTO (1) LAPD Capt. Kyle Jackson talks to the media Friday at the store where Jyotsna Prajapati was slain.

(2) Store owner Kamlesh Prajapati, the victim's husband, describes his feelings over the arrest of a suspect in the 1995 killing.

Tina Gerson/Daily News

(3) CARBAJAL: Still at large

(4) REYNOSO: In custody