Marine veteran shot dead after rescuing waitress during armed robbery
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A disinterested Navy veteran has been shot and killed by an armed robber after he rushed to protect a waitress at the California restaurant he went to every day.
Robert Sundin, 70, a US Marine Corps veteran, was in his car outside Scotty’s restaurant on Tennessee Street in Vallejo, California, when he saw Teresa Brasher, a longtime waitress at the restaurant, to which an apparent thief was approaching on December 8.
Brasher, who was in his car, said Fox2 News that the man, dressed in a ski mask and hoodie and riding an electric scooter, approached her car door and pointed at her and then at her bag. She said she didn’t know if the shooter “used her finger or a gun.”
Sundin, a married father, who worked at VA Healthcare and was a devout church volunteer, jumped out of his vehicle and rushed to his friend’s aid before being fatally injured.
A traumatized Brasher said all she heard was the gunshot during the ordeal. ‘The guy grabs it. And I can see Bob walking away like this, and that’s when I heard the shot,” he said.
Robert Sundin, 70, a US Marine Corps veteran, was in his car outside Scotty’s restaurant in Vallejo, California, when he sacrificed his life for the waitress he talked to every day.
Teresa Brasher, a longtime waitress at Scotty’s restaurant, said “he’s my hero” and called Sudin “his guardian angel for life.”
After the senseless shooting, the suspect, who has not been identified, went on the run.
An emotional Brasher called Sundin his ‘hero for life
‘He saved my life. That’s the kind of person he was. He saved my life. He is always going to be my guardian angel for life,” he said.
Living in Napa not far from the restaurant he frequented, Sundin ate there every weekday morning like clockwork at 5:30 am.
He was a familiar face at the local restaurant whose daily routine included sitting in the same seat every morning, reading the newspaper, and chatting with a few of the staff while waiting for his regular breakfast order.
Nay Ung, owner of Scotty’s, was heartbroken, describing Sundin as “just a wonderful man.”
“That’s what makes it difficult,” he said, in part.
He was also a loyal volunteer for the Fairchield church, First Assembly of God, whom Pastor Eric Lura said was ‘the first person to arrive and the last to leave.’
Scotty’s Restaurant on Tennessee Street in Vallejo, California, when he saw Teresa Brasher, a longtime server at the restaurant, accosted by an apparent shoplifter on December 8.
Nay Ung, owner of Scotty’s, was heartbroken, describing Sundin as “just a wonderful man.” “That’s what makes it hard,” he said, partly
A GoFundMe created by Scotty sharing his love for Sundin and hoping the community will come together to help the Sundin family during this difficult time.
A publication issued by the District Royal Ranger Ministry, Northern California and Nevada
Brasher said she will miss seeing her friend every morning.
‘God was not ready for me. But they had a place for Bob up there,” she added, through tears.
After Sundin’s unexpected death, the restaurant created a GoFundMe asking the community to “come together to support Robert’s family.”
“Robert Sundin lost his life while performing a selfless and heroic act, trying to protect a member of the Scotty’s Restaurant community.”
‘Robert was always a generous and kind soul. Wherever he went, he put a smile on his face and had a story in his heart to tell. He would talk to you like crazy if you got him started, but it was always worth it.
“Every person he came across always spoke highly of him or how he helped them. He enjoyed being there, helping, protecting, and showing people the right direction, metaphorically or physically. Even if it meant using a map on his phone, which he barely knew how to use, he’d still try.
As of Friday afternoon, nearly $19,000 has been raised, surpassing their initial goal of $10,000.