Napa Restaurateur Owner Found Dead: Ex-Husband Arrested
NAPA (KCBS) — A longtime restaurant owner in Napa was found dead in her home on Sunday and her ex-husband was arrested as the homicide suspect, police said.
Officers went to the home of Eiko Nakamura, 78, on the 2900 block of Pinewood Drive in the Hidden Valley neighborhood to conduct a welfare check after receiving a 911 call from a man who had been unable to reach her since Friday.
Upon entering, Shozaburo Nakamura, 71, admitted to officers that he had killed his ex-wife, with whom he shared the home, during a domestic dispute on Saturday at around 9 a.m., according to a police statement.
Officers found the victim's body in the bathroom with multiple stab wounds and evidence of blunt force trauma.
Eiko Nakamura ran Fujiya Restaurant at the Napa Premium Outlets center for 24 years, according the Napa Valley Register.
In 2011, she partnered with the brothers Rick and Mike Zaslove and opened and Asian-theme restaurant bearing her name which remains in business on First Street in front of the former Napa Town Center outdoor mall.
Allison Hallum, general manager of the restaurant on First Street told the Register that Nakamura was an "amazing person."
"She was one of the kindest persons I've ever met, and her honor and her memory will live on at her restaurant. We will honor her memory in every way," she said.
The residence remains active crime scene with departmental forensic specialists processing the scene for evidence.
This case is still under investigation at this time. Anyone with information about this case should contact Detective Andrew Hess, of the Napa Police Department, at (707) 257-9507.
