Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Robber committed suicide when cops arrived after 911 call

One of three men who tried to rob a drugstore in Bellaire, Texas fatally shot himself when police arrived after a customer secretly dialed 911.

Police said two men in hooded sweatshirts burst into a CVS Pharmacy about 11:30 p.m. Sunday while the manager and a co-worker were preparing to close for the night. Three customers were also in the store.

The men shouted and waved their guns, forcing the workers and two of the customers to lie on the floor. One gunman watched the people while the other opened the cash register and took the money. Then one of the gunmen escorted the manager to the back of the store, apparently hoping to rob the safe.

The robbers apparently had not seen the third customer, who had been in the back of the store when the gunmen rushed inside. He hid and called 911 on his cellphone.

Police arrived moments later. They found the lookout near a car with a pistol visible in it and questioned him. Then the officers heard a gunshot.

Moments later, one of the suspects walked outside with his hands in the air after dropping his gun in the store. Police found the other suspect inside, mortally wounded. “It appears to be self-inflicted,” Police Department Assistant Chief Byron Holloway said.

He also said the pair inside the store had seen surveillance camera images of police in the parking lot surrounding the building and likely panicked. (info from Houston Chronicle)

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