An armed and masked robber who broke into a Houston taco shop was shot by a customer, who returned the stolen money to diners, according to police in the Texas city.
After searching for this person for several days to "talk" with her, the agents will soon be able to question him, according to the local NBC News station.
Police responded last Thursday around 11:30 p.m. to a report of a shooting at the El Ranchito taco shop.
The thief, a man in his twenties, had his face covered with a black mask and was dressed in black clothing, gloves;
He held a
"plastic gun"
and pointed it at customers who were eating at the restaurant to demand their money, Lt. R. Willkens told the aforementioned outlet.
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Customers threw their money on the ground as the assailant approached one by one waving a gun, the police officer added.
When the robber passed by a seated man, he got up, pulled out a gun and shot him several times, according to witnesses.
The officer described him as a white or Hispanic male, but did not provide his identity or other details about who he may have been.
The assailant died instantly.
The customer who shot him recovered the stolen money from the thief's pocket, returned it to the customers and left the restaurant, along with a dozen other people, before the police arrived.
Police said Sunday that a lawyer for that person had contacted police to speak with investigators, local NBC news station reported.
“The person you shot was committing a robbery and, therefore, the use of force to defend yourself and innocent third parties is completely justified in Texas,” Thomas Nixon, a former Houston agent and now a lawyer, told the aforementioned outlet.
“He reasonably feared serious bodily injury or death,” Nixon added, “It is justifiable homicide, but the Harris County grand jury will want to meet all parties involved in the homicide so they can investigate.”
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Pedro López, owner of the taqueria, told the local station of the ABC News network that both he and his employees are still shocked by what happened.
"They're scared, nervous... Me too," he said, "you don't know what's going to happen to you."