Privatization official beaten to death

RIGA — A pair of teenagers wielding baseball bats beat to death the woman in charge of liquidating state companies late last week in what police believe is a robbery attempt, though the youths left about $1,000 behind in the women's purse.

Ilona Skadina, head of the insolvency and liquidation sector of the Latvian Privatization Agency, was walking to her car on Valguma Street near the Daugava River in southwest Riga when two males aged 16 or 17 attacked her, witnesses told police.

Skadina fell to the ground after a blow to the head and cried for help, attracting witnesses who said the youths continued beating her.

The youths fled, leaving Skadina dead beside her purse which still contained "at least $1,000" in cash when police arrived, according to the chief of Latvia's division of criminal police Valdis Pumpurs.

"Now it looks like robbery," he said. "She was very well dressed and had a large amount of money in her pocketbook."

Pumpurs, however, admitted the fact that the cash which was left behind is odd.

He believes the youths became scared and simply ran as witnesses began to appear.

"It's a strange situation," he said.