That was the situation faced by Las Palmas Manager Aaron Harrell. The popular restaurant/grocery store is in Pittsburgh’s Beechview area and was the scene of a dramatic Saturday incident.
Harrell reported that the suspect, 17-year-old Marcus Glass, stood in the taco line before grabbing the tip jar and attempting to make his escape. Furious employees followed the alleged thief away from the restaurant, and that’s when the situation escalated.
“When they were halfway down the street, he started shooting back. He shot three rounds and then I got in my car….We were on call with the police at the time, so we were looking for him to tell police where he was, and I found him in the woods. He took out his gun, I shot back. I shot three rounds,” Herrell recounted to local media.
Police arrived on the scene after the gunshots rang out, and Glass was then taken into custody. This was achieved by cordoning off a wooded area and keeping the suspect contained.
A police dog did the honors and reportedly bit the suspect until he gave up. Another K9 officer located the firearm believed to have been used nearby.
After being checked out at a local hospital, the suspect was questioned by detectives. He reportedly told them that a friend had recently died, and he was looking for a fast way to get money. That was when the idea of robbing the taco stand came to him.
Over a crime that began with the grabbing of a restaurant tip jar, the teenager now faces charges of aggravated assault, robbery and recklessly endangering another person.
Harrell said the establishment returned to normal after the arrest. “Yeah, thank God nobody was injured. We’re all here, we’re all continuing our normal day. Just trying to forget that.”
No injuries other than possible bite marks were reported.
