San Jose store clerk fought back after being shot during attempted robbery

Chris Nguyen Image
ByChris Nguyen KGO logo
Thursday, March 10, 2016
San Jose employee fought back after being shot during armed robbery
Police are searching for suspects accused of shooting a store clerk during an attempted robbery at Sunny's Quik Stop and Taqueria in San Jose Tuesday night.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- A store clerk is recovering after being shot during an attempted robbery at Sunny's Quik Stop and Taqueria in San Jose Tuesday night.

The man is currently resting at home. His co-workers told ABC7 News that he is expected to make a full recovery, but many of them are now questioning the safety of this neighborhood.

Sunny's Quik Stop and Taqueria employees are praising one of their own after a clerk fought back against two armed robbers after he was shot.

Felipa Flores works with the clerk and was there as it all unfolded. Flores said the encounter happened just before 10 p.m.

Standing face to face with the robbers, the clerk took a bullet to the arm, but somehow managed to fend them off with a baseball bat.

The robbery suspects escaped, but weren't able to take anything from the store. "I was really scared. I actually heard noises and I kept peeking through the window because I was hearing noises that didn't sound right," one woman said.

A neighbor who didn't want to be identified said the crime in the area has gotten worse in recent years. She said this is the second time in the past four months this store and taqueria has been robbed at gunpoint. "It's not a settling feeling knowing that when we're at home watching TV, this stuff is going on just very close to us," she said.

Daisy Guerra lives right across the street from where the shooting took place and was upset to learn the clerk had been shot. "He's always there to talk to you and he never seems to be upset or angry, he's just always very happy, so it's kind of sad that it happened to him," she said.

San Jose police have yet to release any suspect descriptions, but are currently working the case.

Investigators are urging anyone with information about this incident to call police.