The RCMP in Burnaby is investigating a deadly hit and run. Police believe the victim is 60-year-old Alberto Mogadinho, a businessman who may have been trying to confront a criminal.

As word got out on Thursday about what happened to their boss, employees raced back to the offices of Berto Contracting.

Investigators say he was killed at around 10:00 a.m. on Thursday.

Employee Dave Twaites says Morgadinho was more than a boss. He was a father figure.

"If you needed a hand with something, he was the first one there, the first to say how can I help you,'' he said.

Another man who spoke to CTV News said he was related to Morgadinho, but did not want to go on camera. He did say there had been break-ins at the business before, but police are not saying it was a robbery.

All they know is Morgadinho got into some kind of altercation with the driver of a red Econoline van.

"This vehicle came to this location and something happened between the driver and the owner,'' Burnaby RCMP Cpl. Brenda Gresiuk said.

"If anyone has any information please call police," she said.

The van is described as an older model Ford Econoline van, reddish in colour, with a temporary operating permit and license plates.

Some nearby businesses are worried that Morgadinho may have been killed after he tried to stop a robbery.

Another Burnaby warehouse was broken into last Thursday and all the copper wire stripped.

"They were well prepared. They locked themselves in the building, dismantled everything, took two trucks and no one knew what happened," said Ted Kinna of Under Pressure Systems.

Another nearby warehouse had similar break-ins up until three months ago.

Gas cans, copper, aluminum, everything that wasn't bolted down was stolen. Thieves would hop the fence, or cut their way through it, Kinna said.

"It's sad the lengths that people will go to steal something, and this guy tried to stop it,'' said Wayne Enair of Hyper Hi-Reach. "I would have probably done the same thing, but look what's happened,'' he said.

With a report by CTV British Columbia's Leah Hendry