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Tire shop owner fights back after suspects attempt robbery: ‘I wrapped him up in an extension cord’
A Pennsylvania business owner thwarts the plans of a would-be robber. (Image source: KDKA-TV video screenshot)

Tire shop owner fights back after suspects attempt robbery: ‘I wrapped him up in an extension cord’

A Pennsylvania business owner reportedly thwarted the efforts of a would-be robber at his tire shop in Derry Township, according to KDKA-TV.

What are the details?

Shop owner Greg Beaver recalled to KDKA his experience with what he believed was a young man who'd fallen on hard times.

Beaver said that the young man — later identified as 27-year-old Josh Onusko — entered the store with a male companion on Thursday morning. The male companion was later identified as 28-year-old Jeff Reese.

"A gentleman comes in, told me that he was on hard times," Beaver explained. "His wife threw him out, he was living in his car, he had a flat tire, and he was on the way to work."

Beaver was happy to help Onusko out and had gone into the garage to service the tire — until he said he saw Onusko and his male companion wrenching open the cash register with a knife in the waiting room. Beaver said that he witnessed the two working together to remove the money from the register.

"I peeked through the crack of the door. He was on this side of the register, he moved the coffee pot, he pried the register open with a big knife, and handed that gentleman the money," Beaver recalled.

What happened then?

Beaver wasn't about to be held up in his own store, especially not after believing he was helping out man down on his luck.

Beaver went into the waiting area, where, he said, he and the men "got into a scuffle."

"[Onusko] tried to stab me. I bounced his head off the counter several times," Beaver told the station. "[Onusko] hit Dave [Simms, an employee at the shop] with a pipe wrench.

"Dave was not happy with that. Dave is a big boy. I'm glad Dave was here," Beaver said, noting that Simms also fought back.

"[Simms] had to sit that man down a little bit," Beaver explained. "[Simms] cracked [Onusko] across the mouth and knocked him down, and knocked his knife out of his hand."

That's when Beaver and Simms converged on Onusko and tied him up with an extension cord.

"We put them behind his back and around his feet, and he snapped them like there was nothing," Beaver explained. "Round two. I wrapped him up in an extension cord, 100-foot extension cord."

The extension cord did the trick, and Beaver and Simms were able to keep Onusko restrained until police arrived on the scene. Onusko did attempt to free himself from the extension cord, but Beaver ran to his truck, where he kept a pistol.

During the melee, Reese reportedly fled the scene. Police later discovered him hiding nearby.

What did the owner say?

"No, you don’t steal from me. I work too hard to get where I’m at and I ain’t gonna give it to somebody," Beaver said.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that authorities took Onusko and Reese into custody and charged them with robbery and theft. Onusko was also charged with simple assault and harassment.

The two men were also charged with receiving stolen property and drug-related offenses after authorities discovered several bags of what was suspected to be heroin, as well as hypodermic needles, on the two men.

Preliminary hearings are scheduled Oct. 19 for the two men.

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