$20K reward offered in murder of Marine who was assaulted then struck by hit-run driver

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A $20,000 reward is being offered for information about the murder of a U.S. Marine in Bellflower.

Peter Chounthala, 42, was attacked by at least two men on May 28, investigators said.

Chounthala was then hit by a vehicle and died from his injuries. The driver then fled the scene in a dark-colored Kia sedan.

"When we look at his photos now, it doesn't show his personality, his sense of humor, his generosity," said his wife, Jurina Chounthala, on Wednesday.

Jurina, herself an active duty member of the Air Force, said her husband planned to retire from the military later this year so he could be a stay-at-home dad for the couple's 3-year-old son.

"I think this loss feels so much more painful," she said. "It's painful knowing I'm a widow. But knowing our son is without a father now makes it so much more painful to bear."

Investigators are pleading for the public's help in finding the attackers, as well as the hit-and-run driver.

Chounthala is also survived by two younger sisters. He was also a wounded warrior recovering from his service in Afghanistan with multiple Marine expeditionary units.

"He was everything to me, to my family, to our friends and family," his wife said. "He's like the glue that held all of us together."

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors recently approved the reward of $20,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the suspects. See flyer here for information.