TX - Jeweler Shoots, Kills Would-Be Robber

[Kevlar]

William Cano says people approach him in restaurants or other public places to congratulate him on defending his store, Cano’s Diamonds, against an armed robber.

He replies that it was never about the money.

Early Wednesday afternoon, when a man later identified as 20-year-old Juan Luis Martinez entered Cano’s Diamonds brandishing a firearm and demanding money, Cano said he was prepared to lose cash and jewelry as long as everyone stayed safe.

Martinez, according to a warrant affidavit, walked into the store wearing a white bandanna around his face and carrying a duffel bag, pointed a handgun at Cano, who was the only person in the room, and demanded he fill the bag with cash.

At first it was just a robbery, Cano said. Then it quickly accelerated.

Cano told officers he was putting jewelry and cash in the bag when Domingo Diaz, a store employee, walked into the retail area from the backroom. Martinez pointed the gun at Diaz and then turned and fired at Cano.

All three men were armed at the time.

“When he takes that first shot, I thought I was dead,” Cano said. “I thought he shot me already.”

After realizing he wasn’t hit, Cano said, his thoughts turned to the safety of Diaz and the neighboring businesses, including optometrist Dr. Alan Larsen and any patients he might have, and students and faculty at Lee Middle School. At the first gunshot, Cano said, he was sure Martinez intended to “get rid of everybody in that office.” All he wanted was for Martinez to stop shooting.

“It wasn’t for the stuff, the gold or the silver,” Cano said about his split-second decision to open fire. “It was because he was intending to ... he changed the whole thing there in the middle.”

When officers arrived, Cano was holding a shotgun. They found a Smith & Wesson .357-caliber revolver lying under Martinez’s right elbow, according to the warrant. Two bullets had been fired from the weapon.

Had Martinez not fired his gun, Cano said, he could have walked out the door and the incident would have been over.

“This kid did not die because he came in to steal trinkets from me,” Cano, 32, said. “A life isn’t worth stuff.”

http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2010/apr/02/suspected-accomplice-in-attempted-robbery/.

 

[Scrivener]

Certainly preferable to the alternate outcome.

 

[SteelShooter]

One less thug to have to worry about. No telling how many lives he saved by his actions, both during the robbery and if this scum walked away.

 

[Jose]

I'm going to disagree. Some dude walks in masked and produces a weapon, he's bought and paid for. I don't give a shit if all he wants is money for a Happy Meal.

Any right thinking man that was there and armed would have shot him at the first opportunity.

Who here, seeing this go down as a patron of the store, and not being the focus of the robber, would NOT have shot him from behind?

 

[theGringo]

Looks like the store owner ... Jack Ruby'd the BG. Get it? Ruby?

Sorry, that's the only guy-gets-shot-in-a-jewelry-store-heist joke I could think of.