Abusive Boyfriend Picked the Wrong Corner Store to Beat and Choke His Girlfriend In

Bystanders in a California convenience store tackled a man who was choking his girlfriend and restrained him until law enforcement officials were able to sort out the situation. And it was all caught on video.

The incident began Wednesday morning outside the Flower Street Market in Bakersfield, Calif., when the man police identified as Aidan Jose Cruz, 21, began arguing with his girlfriend. The argument soon escalated to assault, forcing the woman to flee inside the nearby shop for help.

He followed the woman, whose name will not be released because she is the victim of domestic violence, and resumed beating her.

At first, as is evident from the store’s security footage, bystanders were hesitant to come to the woman’s aid. But after a few moments, customers inside the shop grabbed hold of the suspect and brought him to the ground.

A copy of store’s security footage was uploaded to the Internet on Wednesday.

“This happened in my store this morning,” the video’s description reads. He "beats his girlfriend outside of the store and she runs in asking for help.”

The store clerk called the police and deputies arrived almost immediately.

“Deputies were dispatched to the market regarding an assault in progress,” Kern County Sheriff's spokesman Ray Pruittr told TheBlaze Friday. “The suspect at one point had his hands around her neck and started choking her and then began striking her in the head.”

“When deputies arrived, the suspect was being held down on the ground by several customers inside the store,” he said. “Deputies were able to handcuff him and take him into custody without incident.”

The victim sustained no serious injuries, Pruittr told TheBlaze.

Cruz is still in custody for spousal battery and has a hearing scheduled in superior court for Friday afternoon. His bail has been set at $50,000.

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