Aug 22 2013 07:53:50 AM PDT- SPOKANE, Wash. –

WWII veteran Delbert Belton survived being wounded in action during the Battle of Okinawa only to be beaten and left for dead by two teens at the Eagles Lodge in Spokane on Wednesday evening.

Belton, 88, succumbed to his injuries Thursday morning at Sacred Heart Medical Center.

The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office says Belton died of blunt facial and head injuries.

Witnesses say Belton was in the parking lot of the Eagles Lodge at 6410 N. Lidgerwood, adjacent to the Eagles Ice-A-Rena, around 8 p.m. Wednesday when the two male suspects attacked him as he was about to head inside to play pool.

Police responded with K-9s to track the suspects’ scent but were not able to locate them.

“It does appear random. He was in the parking lot, it appears he was assaulted in the parking lot and there was no indication that he would have known these people prior to the assault,” Spokane Police Major Crimes Detective Lieutenant Mark Griffiths said.

Belton died from his injuries Thursday morning at Sacred Heart Medical Center.

“Shorty,” as he was known by his friends at the Eagles Lodge, served in the U.S. Army in the Pacific during WWII and was shot in the leg during the Battle of Okinawa. He went on to work at Kaiser Aluminum at the company’s Trentwood plant for more than 30 years. Belton’s wife passed away several years ago.

He loved playing pool, even though he claimed he was no good at it and had been a member of the Eagles Lodge for the last four months. In addition to playing pool he loved working on cars.

Shorty was Ted Denison’s best friend of 23 years; the two played pool occasionally and worked on cars daily.

“He was always there for me when I needed him,” Denison said. “We’d joke back and forth. We were always having fun, some sort of fun.”

He was the kind of nice old man who’d become your friend in minutes.

“Probably every time I come into town, he’d have a project for me to do,” Denison said. “I thought of him more as a dad than I did a friend really.”

Now, with the suspects still at large and the Spokane Police Department working to track them down, Shorty’s friends are hoping for justice.

“I don’t understand how somebody could do this. I really don’t,” Denison said.

Police have arrested 16-year-old Demetrius Glenn in connection with the murder. Police say the second suspect is still at large.

Police investigating the deadly attack on Belton have also obtained surveillance footage from the scene.

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Teen suspect to be charged as adult in murder of WWII vet

Aug 23 2013 07:44:51 AM PDT- SPOKANE, Wash. –

A juvenile arrested in connection with the murder of 88-year-old Delbert Belton will be charged as an adult on counts of First Degree Murder and First Degree Robbery.

16-year-old Demetrius Glenn was arrested Thursday night just before midnight in connection with the murder. He is being held in juvenile detention.

Glenn will make an appearance at 1:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon.

Delbert “Shorty” Belton was attacked by two males outside the Eagles Lodge Wednesday night and passed away Thursday morning.

Police say the second suspect is still at large.

A report from the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office says Belton died of blunt facial and head injuries.

A candlelight vigil will be held for Belton outside the Eagles Lodge Friday night at 8:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to join friends and family to honor Delbert “Shorty” Belton.

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Second suspect identified in beating death of WWII vet Delbert Belton

Aug 23 2013 11:45:14 AM PDT – SPOKANE, Wash. –

Spokane Police have identified the second suspect in the beating death of WWII veteran Delbert Belton as Kenan Adams-Kinard.

Kenan Adams-Kinard, 16, is identified as a black male, 5’10”, 174 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

Belton, 88, was beaten by two suspects Wednesday in the parking lot of the Eagles Lodge Wednesday evening around 8 p.m. He succumbed to his injuries Thursday morning. The Spokane County Medical Examiner said Belton died as a result of blunt force head and facial injuries.

The other suspect in Belton’s murder, 16-year-old Demetrius Glenn, was arrested Thursday night. He is being held in juvenile detention and will be charged as an adult on counts of First Degree Murder and First Degree Robbery.

Glenn is scheduled to make his first appearance in court Friday afternoon