A Denton pizza restaurant employee surprised by a robbery says she was even more surprised by who the robbers were.
As Stephanie Martinez was getting money out of a cash drawer, another clerk fought back against the gunman, knocking off the wig and sunglasses disguising him.
“I dropped the money,” she said. “I said, ‘Don’t hit him again! That’s my dad!’ And he said, ‘What’s he doing here?’ and I said, ‘I don’t know!’ ”
Police say the suspect, Benjamin Ramirez, 41, ran out of the Pizza Patron in the 100 block of East University Drive to a pickup truck, where Ms. Martinez’s mother and husband were waiting.
Witnesses followed the pickup and helped lead police to it, where Mr. Ramirez, Sonia Palacios, 38, and Jose Miguel Martinez, 26, were arrested.
All three have been charged with aggravated robbery. Mr. Ramirez and Ms. Palacios were still being held today on immigration violations. Mr. Martinez was free on $50,000 bail.
The robbery took place Friday night.
The clerk who overpowered the suspect was 17-year-old Rudy Sandoval.
Benjamin Ramirez
He told NBC-TV’s “Today” show this morning that he’d been warned in his training not to fight back if there was ever a robbery attempt. “They always told me, give them the money,” he said.
But the burly teen said he instinctively reacted once the suspect slapped him.
“He tested me, so I did it,” he said.
He added: “He was out on the floor for a good two to three minutes.”
Denton police say don’t think Ms. Martinez knew her family was planning the robbery.
“We … will not be filing charges against her,” Sgt. James Brett said. “Her husband told us she didn’t know. He knew they were going to rob someplace, but he thought it was going to be a convenience store.”
Surveillance video shows the robber as he came into the restaurant about 10:25 p.m., pointing a silver gun that turned out to be a toy, according to a police report.
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