Sandy MaloneNorco, CA – Security video from a liquor store in California showed what happened when a masked man tried to rob the business on Sunday and the elderly owner pulled out a shotgun (video below).
The incident occurred at about 2:47 a.m. on July 31 at the Norco Market & Liquor in the 800-block of Sixth Street in Norco, KABC reported.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said surveillance video from outside the liquor store showed four armed suspects with facial coverings and rifles arrived in a BMW SUV.
Employees told KABC that the 80-year-old liquor store owner, Craig, saw what was happening on the security monitors.
“The sheriff’s warned us that this had been going on in the area recently and to just be on your toes, you know, so he was on his toes. Thank God,” employee Marnie Tapia said.
Tapia said Craig watched the SUV back in and was ready when one of the robbers entered his business, KABC reported.
“He just prepared himself. He’s always prepared as far as weapons go,” she explained.
Security video from inside the business showed a gunman entered the business and pointed a weapon at the 80-year-old store owner.
“Hands in the air, hands in the air, hands in the air,” the gunman said in the video.
That was when the store owner let loose with a blast from the shotgun he had with him behind the cash register, the video showed.
The gunman fled the store screaming and the owner moved around the counter to watch them outside via his security monitors.
Footage from outside the store showed that a third gunman had just gotten out of the BMW when a shotgun blast was heard.
The video showed that he turned around and jumped back into the back seat of the SUV as two other gunman came running from the store screaming.
“He shot my arm off! He shot my arm off! He shot my arm off!” one of the suspects screamed in the video.
The footage showed the gunmen tried to get into the passenger side of the vehicle as it tore out of the parking lot and one of the would-be robbers was almost left behind.
The store’s octogenarian owner suffered a heart attack after the armed robbery attempt on his business, KABC reported.
He remained hospitalized as the sheriff’s department investigated the incident.
Authorities said all four suspects were found at a nearby hospital where the suspect who had suffered a gunshot wound had gone for emergency treatment, KABC reported.
Police found three of the suspects inside the BMW SUV in the hospital parking lot.
The SUV had been reported stolen, according to police.
Officers also found several stolen firearms inside the stolen BMW, KABC reported.
Authorities have identified the three suspects found in the stolen SUV as 22-year-old Justin Johnson, 27-year-old Jamar Williams, and 24-year-old Davon Broadus.
Police have not yet released the name of the 23-year-old suspect who was wounded during the attempted armed robbery and remained hospitalized in critical-but-stable condition, KABC reported.
“In this case, a lawfully armed member of our community prevented a violent crime and ensured their own safety while being confronted with multiple armed suspect,” the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said.
Watch the incident unfold in the video below. WARNING – Graphic Content:
Holly Matkin
