A masked armed robber who broke into a Texas taco shop demanding money was stopped by a customer who brandished his own gun, fatally shot the suspect and returned cash to diners, police said.
Houston police are seeking to speak with the employer who thwarted the robbery Thursday.
The incident took place at El Ranchito #4 taco shop in the 6000 block of South Gessner Road in Houston around 11:30 p.m.
Officers were called to the restaurant for a shooting and found the robbery suspect, dressed entirely in black, a black ski mask and gloves, «shot multiple times inside the business,» police said in a news release. launching.
He was pronounced dead by paramedics. The suspect’s identification, believed to be a man in his 20s, is pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, police said.
Witnesses told officers that the suspect stormed into the restaurant and pointed a gun at diners demanding their money.
While collecting the money, one of the customers, described as a white or Hispanic male, «pulled out his own handgun and shot the suspect multiple times,» police said.
The customer then collected the stolen money from the suspect and returned it to the other diners, police said. He and other diners then fled the scene.
Houston police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the client and want to speak with him about «his role in the shooting.» Police said no charges have been filed.
Investigators shared a photo of the man, dressed in a T-shirt, jeans and glasses with what appears to be a gun in his hand.
They also shared a photo of their vehicle, a 1970s or 1980s model pickup truck with no flatbed.
An attorney representing the diner who shot the suspect has contacted Houston police to schedule a time for him to come in and speak with investigators, an NBC affiliate. KPRC of Houston reported Sunday citing police.
