Joseph Hewitt was talking to his wife, Carolee, on the telephone at her second job Wednesday night when a masked gunman robbed and shot her. The senselessness of the crime shocked police because the 23-year-old mother of two gave the robber the money he demanded.

 ``That's what I can't understand. Why did he have to shoot her after she'd given him the money?'' a stricken Hewitt sobbed yesterday at the University of Kentucky Hospital where his wife was clinging to life. She was in critical condition last night.

Police already had beefed up patrols in the area around the Pantry Fresh Market at 460 Squires Road in southeastern Fayette County because of the number of robberies there in the last few weeks.

It was the second time she'd been robbed. The first was six months ago when she was working as a cashier at a Dairy Mart on Walton Avenue near downtown.

``She knows how to act during a robbery,'' her husband said.

Hewitt, a parts specialist at Kentucky Motors, was at home with the couple's two young daughters, Ashley, 5, and Caithlyn, 3, when his wife was shot at 8:20 p.m.

``We were talking on the phone. I was telling her that I was going Christmas shopping to buy her presents when the man came into the store,'' he recalled.

Hewitt heard his wife scream, then the gunshot.

``In the background I could hear someone say it was a firecracker, then they hung up the phone,'' he said.

Hewitt jumped in his truck and rushed to the store. He arrived before the ambulance and talked to his wife.

``She said she had been shot in the stomach and that she was scared,'' he said.

By noon yesterday, his wife had received 23 units of blood and was being rushed back into surgery.

``They're having a hard time getting her liver to stop bleeding,'' Hewitt explained.

His mother-in-law, Carol Hufstedler, is keeping the children, who don't know their mother has been shot.

``I haven't told them, and I'm not going to tell them that she was shot. I need to tell them she's sick though. I guess I'll do that today,'' Hewitt said as he brushed away tears. ``All I want now is to bring her home for Christmas.''

Carolee's boss, Steve Ramsey said he's as bewildered as Hewitt.

``God only knows why he shot her ... He got what he wanted. Why? He must have been on drugs or something,'' Ramsey said.

Ramsey was in the store's back room and his wife was in the restroom during the robbery. ``I haven't slept a wink thinking about this ... worrying about Carolee,'' Ramsey said.

Late yesterday she was listed in critical condition as Lexington police urged anyone with information to come forward.

Robbery Sgt. Brenda Cox describes the suspect as a male, wearing a light or medium-colored quilted jacket, possibly wearing a red bandanna. He also wore a full-face ski mask and was armed with a handgun.

Police Chief Larry Walsh reminded any store employees to be alert for any suspicious persons or activity near their businesses and to call 258-3600 to report anyone loitering.

In case of emergency, the number to call is 911.

Copyright © 1998 by the Lexington Herald-Leader. No portion may be retransmitted, republished or reused in any form without written permission from the Lexington Herald-Leader and Kentucky Connect.