Nothing good happens at 5:30 in the morning. Especially for those who have been awake all night, drinking and acting dumb. Such was the case when a machete-wielding armed robber stormed into a convenience store in Metairie, Louisiana. However, the would-be robber remained sober enough to become meek and mild when an armed customer drew down on him.
Cops say Robert Merritt threatened to kill the clerk before trying to steal some beer. More threats with the big blade led to a customer explaining things with the help of Messrs. Smith & Wesson. Merritt surrendered his machete and then promised to leave if the clerk returned the blade.
Amazingly, the clerk returned the blade and Merritt left. But the would be robber left his wallet behind, providing a big hint as to his true identity for investigating officers.
The Times-Picayune has the story.
A man who entered a Metairie convenience store armed with a machete and threatened an employee fled after he was confronted by a customer who was armed with a gun, according to authorities.
The blade-wielding suspect was later identified as Robert Merritt, 37, of Metairie. He was taken into custody after returning to the store while deputies were still investigating, a Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office arrest report said.
Merritt threatened to kill the employee, then walked inside and began taking beers, according to Rivarde. He’s accused of again threatening to kill the employee, who had walked inside the store.
That’s when an unidentified male customer who was also inside the store at the time pulled out his concealed gun and pointed it at Merritt, Rivarde said.
While Merritt was distracted, the employee grabbed the machete and called 911 for help. Merritt allegedly told the employee he’d leave if given back his machete, according to Rivarde. The employee handed back the blade, and Merritt fled the store, dropping his wallet.
He must have remembered where he forgot his wallet, because Mr. Merritt returned to the store while deputies were there investigating the original call.
Merritt then fought with the cops, resisting arrest. For that, cops ruined his buzz with their TASER before taking him into custody.
But wait! There’s more.
Because of overcrowding at the local jail, he back out on the street.
One of the deputies used a TASER stun gun, and Merritt was taken into custody. He was arrested and booked into the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna with aggravated assault and resisting arrest.
Bond was set at $1,000, but Merritt was released the same day because of crowding at the jail.
Sometimes criminals should just save everyone a lot of time and trouble and just report to prison on their own.