Bountiful Pawn Shop Shooting Robbery Owner Shoots
courtesy youtube.com
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Back in May, two would-be stick-up men walked into the Bountiful Pawn Shop near Salt Lake City just as the owner was opening  the store. One of them, Kleydys Arbolaez-Hernandez, had a handgun and pointed it at the owner’s head while his accomplice, Alexander Cutino Sanchez, armed with a hammer, searched for loot.

But while Arbolaez-Hernandez tried to close the front door, the owner put some distance between himself and the gunman, allowing him to pull his gun.

Now, the Bountiful Police Department has released security footage of the incident.

From deseretnews.com:

In the video, the clerk raises his own gun and appears to fire before the two struggle on the floor at the back of the room. The clerk frees himself from the robber and leaves the side room, his right hand covered in what appears to be blood. The second man with the bag is seen running from the store just moments before the clerk left the side room.

Bountiful Police Lt. Dave Edwards said the clerk only had a 1- or 2-second window to decide whether to pull the trigger.

“The suspect could have left. He could have left the store then, but instead he continued to pursue (the clerk), and immediately as he comes around the corner again, points the gun again. The clerk defends himself,” Edwards said.

Arbolaez-Hernandez died there on the floor of the shop. As for his accomplice,

Sanchez also has been named as a suspect in several robberies in Oklahoma, Colorado and Texas. He was arrested in Texas on May 31 after fleeing Utah following the pawn shop shooting.

Gabby Giffords was unavailable for comment.

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30 COMMENTS

  1. Another POS lying dead in a pool of his own blood. I’m so touched that I may watch this video at Christmas just before “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”

    • The clerk is lucky to be alive. The suspect had him before he even cleared the corner, and the clerk also did not have a round in the chamber.

      If you pay attention, he racked it twice. Probably a failed rack the first time because of the adrenaline. Then, stands right in the doorway. Seems like a good way to die trying to protect something that insurance is going to cover. Worth it? Not even a little. I’d like to side with you on this one, but he was not very well trained and not using cover behind that doorway plus not having a round chambered, he is just plain ol lucky to be alive.

      I am not impressed by the attempt to use this as a homage to criminals getting what they deserve. This is a terrible example of self defense, but a good one for being lucky those criminals were typical idiots.

      I would love to know how many times the clerk was shot, because he definitely got shot. All we know here is what the video shows. I would not even be surprised if at that close of range, even with common idiot criminals, that he bled out after being shot in the chest. I hope not.

      • “Seems like a good way to die trying to protect something that insurance is going to cover.”

        It was a pawn shop. Most pawn shops have no insurance against theft. Fire, flood, ect., yes. Theft, no. The premiums wouldn’t be affordable. Typically, the (smart) pawn shops ‘harden’ them against easy break-ins. Window glass replaced with shatter-resistant Lexan, burglar bars on the inside, nylon hardware for the door pulls, bollards of some type shielding the front, etc. Occasionally a mean dog at night.

        How I know this – I’ve worked behind the counter in 3 of them at various times over the years…

      • “This is a terrible example of self defense…”
        “Seems like a good way to die trying to protect something that insurance is going to cover.”

        I am not sure we watched the same video. I saw the shop owner retreat and take a defensive position. Maybe not the best defensive position, but he was doing what he had to do to get away. Then, he was pursued – essentially stalked, and defended himself with his weapon. He wasn’t protecting the bike, his goods, or the shop. He was defending his life. The robber absolutely got what he deserved. His prey, while not employing the best tactics, walked away with is life.

      • While I agree that “defending” property from theft is no excuse to use deadly force, the robber had a gun and the owner had every reason to fear for his life.

        Sure, the owner made a bad showing when it came to actually deploying his firearm (betcha he rarely practiced) but IMO he did not act foolishly

  2. Hopefully Utah has the Felony Murder Rule, which would get the other suspect charged with 1st degree murder.

  3. Only shame is he didn’t get the second guy as well.

    Further proof most criminals are looking for a soft target. Any resistance and they run off like the cowards they are. Sanchez showed his true colors when he left his dumber accomplice to die.

  4. I notice the clerk was carrying with an empty chamber. I have to wonder if his struggle with the perp would have been shorter, if not non-existent, had he kept a round chambered. He was still fumbling to chamber a round as the perp came into the doorway. He could have been killed instead.

    • “I notice the clerk was carrying with an empty chamber.”

      Possible, or he was defaulting “rack the slide before you fire”.

      That was a close call. Especially in a nice area, it’s dangerous to staff a pawn shop with one person behind the counter. Pawn shops in the nicer parts of town often have more valuable stock. Makes you more of a target…

        • I personally wouldn’t pocket-carry a striker-fired weapon with one in the pipe.

          DAO semi-auto with one up, yes. A long, heavy trigger on the first round is a dandy safety…

        • The guns I carried for decades were my Sig 220 and Sig 226, neither of which have safeties. I now mostly carry a S&W M&P Shield, a striker fired 9mm with a thumb safety. Completely safe to carry chambered, and deadly accurate.

  5. Seems he didn’t have a round in the chamber, and he had to run the slide. Good on him for having the mindset to fix it, but if he didn’t have a chambered round, he should’ve. It could’ve ended very differently for him. Good job though. Hope he recovers from his wounds if any.

  6. Giffords has been unavailable, more accurately unable, to comment since 01/08/2011 when she was shot in the head by a crazy progressive, but I repeat myself. The ventriloquist doll of the gun-grabbing left only speaks when others hand her the exact words. Giffords is only slightly less articulate than Pelosi.

    • I wish that brain damaged oath breaker would just shut up and go away, and he can take his ex Congresswoman sock puppet with him.

  7. The thing is, many people, outside of Utah, think the Mormons are a bunch of pansies.

    Not all of them will turn the other cheek.

      • I know a lot of lds people that own guns and leave them at home because Utah is so safe. Overall Utah is a pretty armed place and many people do actually carry their guns. When I’ve been pulled over I give the le my permit and license and they usually just say “oh we don’t need that”. I generally reply with “I just figured I’d let you know because I’d probably want to know if I pulled someone over”. Pretty funny how a little bit of freedom in some areas doesn’t even cause the bat of an eye.

        • Yup, Utah is a great state for the gun owner. I know more people who CCW than don’t. Idaho is another, along with Montana, Arizona and Wyoming.

    • The greatest firearms designer of all time John M. Browning was a Mormon. Other designers like Paul Mauser, Mikhail Kalashnikov and Eugene Stoner have their masterpieces but no other gun designer is responsible for as many great guns as John Browning. In addition a lot of latter designs built upon concepts Browning pioneered.

      • I was just thinking about the gun designing greats last night. I’d include Sam Colt, Kalashnikov, Eugene Stoner, Gaston Glock, maybe Bill Ruger. John Moses Browning stands head and shoulders above all of them. He is without a doubt the greatest gun designer yet.

  8. This video is an example of why I cc a revolver. It is difficult to rack a slide under pressure, even more so if one arm is fending off an attacker. The revolver shines in this self defense scenario- no safety to disengage, no need to rack a slide, can fire from inside a pocket (hammer-less) or even with the barrel shoved into the target’s body. No idea how many shots were fired. Great evidence of criminals looking for a soft target and retreating quickly when faced with resistance. Hasty retreats given resistance seem near universal in robberies of this type.

    • I agree totally. Semi autos are typically better weapons if you know you are going into combat but a good revolver is still tops as an emergency response handgun.

  9. Ivet been by that place a few times but never inside. Honestly it is in a very nice part of Utah. Bountiful has a big Mormon temple, lots of really wealthy neighborhoods and etc. This is a less desirable part of bountiful but still generally much nicer that much of the salt lake valley. This goes to show that you are only as safe from trash as you are cut off from an interstate. It can happen anywhere.
    Hard to tell but it looked like the guy wasn’t carrying at the time. If that’s the case hopefully he will carry on his body in the future.

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