Video shows elderly man thwart smash and grab robbery by waving his .38-caliber revolver at gang of thugs

A stunning video showed what happened when a gang of thugs tried a smash-and-grab robbery at a California store where an armed elderly man worked.

Surveillance video showed the group running into the Estates Consignments on Contra Costa Boulevard in Pleasant Hill before the man appears in frame with his .38-caliber revolver.

73-year-old Albert Marcu told KTVU-TV that he believes a woman who came into the store prior to the group was a scout for them. She was seen trying to keep a security guard from shutting a door in order to let the group inside.

The video shows the gang of young males running into the store, one of whom was carrying a sledgehammer.

As soon as Marcu pulled out his gun, the thieves fell to the floor and ran out of the store.

"I showed them my gun, and I told them to stop it, I have a gun," said Marcu, who manages the store.

One of the thugs tripped after plowing into a chair on the way out. The would-be thieves rushed into two Infiniti Q50 vehicles, one black and one white, but they were immediately confronted by police. They were alerted to their presence by a license plate reader that reported the presence of a stolen vehicle.

Although police had responded quickly, the two vehicles were able to drive off and escape.

Marcu said he was absolutely prepared to use lethal force to protect himself and the other employees of the store.

"If they threaten my life or the life of my employees, I'll use the gun, hundred percent," he said.

He said that other stores have been hit in the area, and he wanted to make an example of the thugs.

"I didn’t want to shoot anybody, but I have to make a statement. Too many bad things have happened. Stores get robbed left and right," he added. "I have a message for all business owners, to take example and fight for themselves, because if you don’t fight for yourself, nobody will."

Pleasant Hill is a suburb of Oakland with a population of about 34,000 people.

Here's the video of the incident:

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