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A shoplifter was fatally shot in the head by a customer after he held up a Texas restaurant with a fake gun, and police are now searching for the vigilante who helped return the stolen money to customers.
The thief, believed to be in his 20s, entered Ranchito #4 Taqueria in southwest Houston Thursday night wearing a black ski mask and gloves before ambushing 10 customers and demanding their money at gunpoint.
Footage shows the screaming man waving what is believed to be a gun around the restaurant as customers drop to the ground and hand over their belongings.
But as the man was heading for the door, one of the patrons, described by police as white or Hispanic, drew his own gun and shot the robber.
He fired nine times, one of which was to the head, causing him to fall to the ground. The customer, who was wearing a gray T-shirt and jeans, collected the stolen money and cellphones and began returning them to the people they had been taken from.
The police have not filed any charges and only want to speak to the client in the video.
The customer shot the robber, seen in the red ring, after he entered Ranchito #4 Taqueria and demanded people’s money and cell phones at gunpoint. Police believe the masked robber was actually using a fake gun
Police now want to speak with this customer, described by police as white or Hispanic, who stood up and shot the robber as he was leaving the restaurant in Houston.
The ‘gunman’ who entered the store waving his gun and yelling, was taking money and cell phones from customers before a customer stood up and shot him.
Pedro López, owner of the taqueria, said he and his employees are still in shock, but he is glad his staff and customers were unharmed in the shooting.
He then fled the scene in a dusty van around 11:30 p.m. on January 5, along with other patrons of the taco shop on South Gessner Road.
Investigators say they want to track down the man in the photo for his role in the shooting, and no charges have yet been filed.
The thief’s identity has not yet been released, but police believe the weapon he was waving in the restaurant may have been a plastic BB gun.
HPD Homicide Division Sergeants M. Arrington, C. Duncan and Detectives S. Overstreet and L. Lovelace said in a report: “Officers were dispatched to a restaurant shooting at the above address and observed a unknown black male dressed entirely in black.” , a black ski mask and black gloves had been shot multiple times inside the business.
Paramedics pronounced him dead. Witnesses told officers that the suspect entered the restaurant and pointed a gun at customers as he demanded money from him.
“While the suspect was collecting money from customers, one of the customers, described as a white or Hispanic male, pulled out a gun and shot the suspect multiple times.
‘The shooter collected the stolen money from the suspect and returned the money to other customers. He and other patrons (victims) then fled the scene.
Pedro López, owner of the taco shop, said he and his employees are still in shock.
He told ABC13: ‘Everyone was scared, nervous. I was also. Some customers were sitting here, others were there, the money left and was going to leave.
‘You never really know what’s going to happen.’
Police have also released an image of the vehicle in which the man who killed the robber fled the scene.
It is a 1970’s or 1980’s model pickup with no bed in a rusty red color. The cops hope this will lead them to the man they want to talk to.
Texas has some of the most lenient gun laws in the US Residents and non-residents age 21 and older can carry a firearm, openly or concealed, in most places in the state.
This does not include people who have prior felony convictions.
As of September 2021, Texans do not need a permit to open carry a firearm in the state.
Former Houston police officer, now a lawyer, Thomas Nixon said: “The person you shot was in the process of committing robbery, and consequently his use of force in defense of himself and innocent third parties is completely justified in Texas.”
“He had a reasonable fear of serious bodily injury or death.”
The man’s vehicle is a rusty red 1970s or 1980s model pickup truck with no bed. The cops hope this will lead them to the man they want to talk to.
The ‘gunman’ heads for the door, before being shot by a customer.
The fatal shooting occurred at Ranchito #4 Taqueria in southwest Houston, Texas.
Police have not released the identity of the deceased thief
Police arrived at the scene on January 5 after the fatal shooting.