Springfield Township, Ohio

From the Cincinnati Enquirer of July 11, 2007

Owner foils clothing store robbery

Two women and a girl from Dayton, Ohio were arrested Wednesday after they allegedly stole clothing from a store and tried to run over the owner with a car, according to Springfield Township police.

Toya Heard, 20, Raytona Glenn, 22, and a 14-year-old girl were charged with aggravated robbery.

Around 5:10 p.m., officers arrived at Casablanca, a clothing store in the 11000 block of Hamilton Avenue, and were told two females ran from the store with a large amount of clothing. away and the three females were arrested nearby.

When the owner saw them climb into a getaway car, he told them to stop but the driver tried to run him over and struck him in the leg, police said.

The owner then fired one shot from a handgun and hit the car’s front right tire. The car was found a short distance away and the three females were arrested nearby.

From Cincinnati’s WCPC.com of July 12, 2007

Business Owner Shoots At Shoplifting Suspects, Stops Car

The owner of a Springfield Township business shot at a getaway car carrying two shoplifting suspects, enabling in their arrest.

It happened at Casablanca Hip Hop Fashions, a store located on Hamilton Avenue in the Seven Hills Shopping Center.

9News obtained exclusive surveillance video from the business showing the thefts in progress.

It shows the two women with armloads of clothes.

At first, they look like any other customers, but as they quickly run towards the front doors, they go from shopper to suspect.

"We have good people, we have bad people, you know, you can't judge people," said Abdelhak Gheddara, the store's owner.

As the owner of Casablanca, Gheddara tells 9News he wasn't just going to let the suspects take off in a waiting escape car.

He pursued them into his parking lot.

But the waiting driver, thought to be a 14-year-old girl, struck him with the car as they fled, forcing Gheddara to take action.

"She pushed me with car, she cut my leg here, I had no choice, I shot tire," Gheddara said.

One shot into the car's tire was all it took.

With their car disabled, Springfield Township police found the three suspects nearby and took them into custody.
Gheddara tells 9News that despite being angry and injured, he never thought about aiming the gun at the suspects.

That would have been something he likely, legally could have done, since his life had been at risk.

"I don't want to shoot them, I can't do it. I don't want to take life, you know? I want to stop car," Gheddara said.

The three female suspects are 22, 20 and 14 years of age.

They all are from Dayton.

Gheddara says he thinks they might be part of an organized shoplifting ring from the Dayton area.