Arrest Made After Fall River Store Clerk Fights Off Attacker With Knife
FALL RIVER (CBS) -- Police have arrested a man they say robbed Jarek's Market on Fifth Street Sunday and engaged in a knife fight with the store's owner.
Jose Tirado-Sanchez, 36, was charged with armed robbery while masked, armed assault to murder, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and vandalized property.
Three Fall River officers noticed Tirado-Sanchez while on an unrelated call on Stanley Street, observing that he fit the description of the robbery suspect, and arrested him Monday morning.
The owner of the Fall River convenience store told police Sunday that a masked man had come in to the store right after he opened it around 9:30 a.m. and immediately jumped up on the counter, threatening him with a knife and demanding money. The owner told WBZ-TV that he was very scared.
That's when the owner pulled a bigger knife, and fought with the attacker. Surveillance shows the two fighting for over a minute.
"Of course I was scared. He jumped up and I was so scared," said the owner, who asked not to be identified. "He was on the counter and had a knife. So I decided to self defend myself."
Police said the owner knocked the knife out of the suspect's hand, but dropped the knife he was holding. The suspect then armed himself with the owner's knife and continued his attack before running away with $200. The owner sustained minor injuries, but said he is fine.
This isn't the first time this clerk or this store have been held up at knifepoint--the same thing happened about two and a half years ago, and that time, police were also able to make a quick arrest.
When he saw Tirado-Sanchez's mugshot, the owner told WBZ-TV that he had seen the man outside the store a few days last week with a friend. He said he was very happy the man was arrested.
Tirado-Sanchez was due in court Tuesday afternoon.
The store owner said that he has added another item to his store. A baseball bat to protect himself from similar incidents in the future.
