A customer in a restaurant in Houston, Texas fatally shot a robber who was stealing from other customers at the restaurant using a fake gun. Texas police later made contact with the shooter who helped patrons get their stolen money back.
The robber, who police believe is in his 20s, entered the restaurant in Southwest Houston on Thursday night, ambushed about 10 customers, and demanded they hand over their money at gunpoint.
Surveillance footage at the Ranchito #4 Taqueria shows the man wearing a black ski mask and gloves waving around what looks like a pistol and shouting at customers as they drop to the ground and hand over their valuables.
As the robber finished his business and headed to the door, one of the customers, who police described as a white or Hispanic male, is seen reaching for something. He then draws a gun and shoots the robber.
The vigilante fired nine shots at the robber. The last round was straight to the robber’s head causing him to fall to the ground. The customer, wearing a gray tee-shirt and a pair of jeans, collected the stolen items and handed them back to their owners.
The man left the restaurant before police arrived, in a dirty 1970s or 80s pickup truck at around 11:30 pm. Other customers at the restaurant quickly left before law enforcement arrived.
Police have not publicly released the robber’s identity but say that the gun he used to threaten patrons was fake.
A statement released by the Houston Police Department reported that officers dispatched to the restaurant observed that an unknown black male, dressed in all black clothes, including black gloves and a ski mask had been shot several times in the building.
Paramedics who responded to the scene pronounced him dead, and witnesses told investigators that he had entered the building, threatened them with a gun, and demanded their money.
The owner of the restaurant, Pedro Lopez, said they were still in shock over the incident.
He told reporters that everyone was scared and nervous, including himself. He showed where the customers were seated, saying that the robber had already collected the money and was about to leave when he was shot.
Thomas Nixon, a former officer with the Houston Police, now a lawyer, said that the vigilante was well within his rights to shoot the robber as he was committing a robbery with what was believed to be a gun. Therefore, the vigilante’s use of force to defend himself and other people in the restaurant is justified under Texas law.
Texas allows residents and nonresidents 21 and over to carry a handgun in most areas, either openly or concealed.
On Monday, the Houston Police Department announced that the customer who shot the robber turned himself in and is cooperating with the police.
