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Armed customer takes out robbery suspect. Now police seek customer for assault with deadly weapon.
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Armed customer takes out robbery suspect. Now police seek customer for assault with deadly weapon.

An armed customer at a California restaurant's drive-thru reportedly noticed an attempted burglary in progress inside the restaurant, so he apparently decided to intervene.

The customer allegedly shot through the drive-thru window at the robbery suspect, reportedly striking him twice and helping bring the purported burglary attempt to an end.

Now police are looking for the shooter on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, the Orange County Register reported.

What are the details?

The incident took place in Santa Ana just after midnight Saturday when a masked man reportedly entered The Cozy Corner armed with a revolver and a bag.

The 60-year-old suspect allegedly threw the bag over the counter at an employee and demanded the employee fill the bag with cash.

As the female employee filled the bag with the store's cash, shots rang out.

A customer, who had reportedly watched the event unfold through a drive-through window, pulled out a firearm and shot through the take-out window at the suspect, striking the suspect at least twice, according to KCAL-TV.

Santa Ana Police Cmdr. Michael Claborn told the Register that the shots shattered the drive-through window.

"It was very dangerous, one of the employees could have been shot," Claborn said.

Daniel Acevedo, a second restaurant employee, said that three shots reportedly rang out — two of which purportedly struck the suspect, and one that hit the restaurant's drink machine.

In security video footage of the incident, a car can be seen fleeing the drive-thru after its driver reportedly fired the shots.

Acevedo said that he believed that the alleged shooter was trying to help, according to KCAL.

The station reported that police responded to the scene only to discover the suspected robber had made it out of the restaurant and across the street.

The suspected robber was reportedly "shot twice in the upper body and bleeding," KCAL reported.

Police took the robbery suspect to the hospital for evaluation, and he, at the time of the report, was listed in stable condition. Police arrested the man on suspicion of robbery, according to the Register.

Now police are seeking the driver who reportedly shot the robbery suspect. According to the Register, the driver is "now wanted on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon."

The outlet reported that a description of the driver was not available at the time of publication.

Francisco Reyno, the restaurant manager, told KNBC-TV that the stolen money —  $274 — was recovered.



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