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A routine visit to a 7-Eleven turned into a heroic act when West Covina, California, Police Sergeant Abel Hernandez stumbled upon an armed robbery in progress.
The incident, captured on store surveillance cameras, took place on the evening of January 17 at a busy intersection in West Covina.
The suspect, identified as 48-year-old Ramon Gonzalez, entered the convenience store wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a face mask, ostensibly to buy cigarettes.
As the cashier began placing the cigarettes into a bag, Gonzalez lifted his sweatshirt, revealing a firearm, and demanded the employee empty the cash register.
Unbeknownst to Gonzalez, Hernandez, a frequent customer of the 7-Eleven, entered the store at that precise moment.
Hernandez described the scene, stating, “I saw the gloves, I saw the ski mask, and that night it was a little chilly so I figured, ‘Okay.’ But I saw the fear in [the clerk’s] face, and I knew something was up.”
Recognizing the danger, Hernandez kept his eye on the suspect.
As Gonzalez made off with approximately $400 in cash, Hernandez gave chase. The clerk raised the alarm, shouting, “He’s got a gun! He robbed me!”
Hernandez managed to catch Gonzalez just 15 to 20 feet outside the store’s doors. A brief struggle ensued before the suspect was apprehended.
Backup officers arrived to assist, and in addition to recovering the stolen money, they found a loaded handgun in Gonzalez’s possession.
Reflecting on the incident, Hernandez, a 17-year veteran of the West Covina Police Department, was grateful that no one was injured during the ordeal.
“It was fortunate,” he said. “Thank God that the outcome was what it was.”
Gonzalez now faces several charges, including robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The incident follows a recent trend, as just a few days prior, a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy intervened in an armed robbery at another 7-Eleven in Carson.
Authorities have not confirmed whether a recent spate of 7-Eleven robberies in Los Angeles and Long Beach on January 11, in which cash, candy and lotto tickets were stolen, are connected.
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