Arden, California

From the Sacramento Bee of August 16, 2007

Store employee shot in leg while chasing robbers

An employee of an Arden-area market was shot in the leg Thursday morning while chasing three men who had just robbed his store at gunpoint, the Sheriff's Department reported.

The three suspects -- last seen in dark clothing and black knit masks -- escaped with cash, and they remained at large in the early afternoon, said Sgt. Tim Curran, sheriff's spokesman.

The status of the wounded employee was not immediately known, but Curran said he was expected to survive. He was described as a 39-year-old relative of the family that owns Toledo's Mexican Market in the 1300 block of Fulton Avenue.

No one answered the phone at the store on Thursday afternoon.

Shortly before 8:30 a.m. the store was robbed, but the crime was not reported to authorities, Curran said. In fact, deputies were first alerted to trouble minutes later when residents at a nearby apartment complex on Wittkop Way reported hearing gunshots.

Curran said a gun battle had ensued at the complex between the robbers and at least two store employees, who had armed themselves with a shotgun and a handgun.

Curran said he did not know if the two groups were wildly shooting through the area or if the exchange took place as the robbers were getting into a car, but it was during that time when the store employee was shot.

From Sacramento's Fox40.com of August 16, 2007

Robbery And Shootout At Local Store

Witnesses say it was something out of the Wild West, after a gun battle erupted in a Sacramento apartment complex.

"Six or seven shots and then it was followed by a very, very, loud bang," said Kurt Richter who lives at the Bella Vita Apartments. Sheriff's deputies scoured the complex, trying to piece together an incident that had tenants ducking for cover.

"I'm not going to take a stray bullet in the face," said Richter.

It all started next door, where three armed robbers entered Toledo's Mexican Market on Fulton Avenue.

"It was a take over robbery they held them at gunpoint while they forced one of the employees to get the money," said Sgt. Tim Curran of the Sacramento Sheriff's Department. The three robbers ran out of the back of the store, and crawled through a hole in a fence leading to the apartment complex where a get away car was waiting.

What they didn't know, the store owner and an employee were hot on their heels. The owner had a handgun and a shotgun. A running gun-battle with the suspects took place around the apartments. Shell casings marked the gunmen's path. They got away in a silver four door sedan, but not before leaving some of their loot behind.

Store owner Jaime Toledo showed detectives how the suspects shot at him. The worker who was with him was hit by a bullet. "He was shot through the leg. He's ok, he's at the hospital already," said Toledo.

Toledo been at this location for seven years, but it's the first time he's been robbed. He says he wasn't scared, but then again he admits there wasn't time to think. "I don't know, when that thing happened, nobody was thinking," said Toledo.

Cops prefer victims to be good witnesses, and not take matters into their own hands. But Jaime doesn't regret his actions.