Tho Tieu, Arlington woman killed Dec. 29, was a mother, grandmother, restaurant owner

A woman who was killed in Arlington after stopping by a bank on the way to work was a mother and grandmother who ran a family restaurant in the city, her family said.

Tho Tieu, 56, was attacked outside her business, Pho Son Nam Vietnamese Restaurant, on Dec. 29, according to police.

She fought back, investigators said. They believe the woman, known by many as “Mrs. Kim,” fell to the ground and then the attacker hit her with his vehicle, killing her.

Tieu was found in the parking lot of the restaurant on New York Avenue about 10 a.m. after someone reported seeing a man and woman struggling outside the restaurant, according to police. When officers arrived, they found Tieu lying on the ground, unresponsive. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Now a memorial has been set up outside the restaurant, with a picture of Tieu surrounded by flowers, candles, incense and sometimes food and drink.

“Our family is completely heartbroken and still trying to wrap our heads around what has happened,” Tieu’s family said on a GoFundMe page raising money for funeral costs. “Our mother was the most amazing and caring woman you’d ever meet. She touched so many lives with her love and generosity.”

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The family said on social media that Tieu was proud of her restaurant and worked hard to make it succeed.

“She put her all into this restaurant and adored all of her customers as if they were family,” her relatives wrote.

The fundraiser had received more than $17,000 in donations as of Thursday morning.

Investigators think the attacker followed her from the bank to the restaurant with the intention of robbing her, which is a crime sometimes referred to as “jugging,” according to a news release from Arlington police. They don’t have any good descriptions of a suspect or the vehicle and are asking anybody with information to contact detectives at 817-459-5739.

Anonymous tips can also be phoned in to Crime Stoppers of Tarrant County at 817-469-8477.

Visitation for Tieu is planned for Monday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Skyvue Funeral Home at 7220 Rendon Bloodworth Road in Mansfield. Her funeral service is scheduled for Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the same place.