7-Eleven customer speaks out about Sikh employees stopping thief
Business owner of StayWinning Boutique, Louis Benton, who recorded an incident of 7-Eleven employees in Stockton, California stopping a thief from robbing their store, calls it 'courageous.'
A thief who attempted to rob a 7-Eleven in Stockton, California, was charged with multiple felonies in connection to the incident which resulted in a viral beat-down from store employees.
An arrest record showed that Tyrone Edward Frazier was charged with five felonies, including robbery – which refers to a theft using force – and burglary in the first degree. He was booked at San Joaquin County Jail on $750K bail Tuesday.
Police were investigating the Sikh employees for "suspected assault," but ultimately decided against pressing charges. The suspect had gone into the same 7-Eleven during the same 24-hour time period and stole items, according to police.
A video, which attained millions of views, captured a scuffle which unfolded from the attempted robbery. It showed 7-Eleven employees intervening as Frazier dumped cigarettes into a garbage can. One of the employees grabbed a giant wooden stick and began beating the Frazier to thwart the theft.
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Two 7-Eleven employees fought off an attempted robber in Stockton, California in an incident that has gone viral. (Fox News Digital)
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Louis Benton, who recorded the "a-- whooping," told Fox News Digital the scuffle was caused by pent-up frustrations from dozens of prior robberies at the 7-Eleven. He said that a group of individuals routinely gather outside the 7-Eleven at night and rob the store.
"He was threatening them in a way," Benton said. The suspect briefly pulled what appeared to be a knife out of his pocket.
New York, United States - July 3, 2013: People walk past 7-Eleven convenience store in New York. 7-Eleven is world's largest operator, franchisor and licensor of convenience stores, with more than 46,000 shops. (iStock)
Benton, a business owner of StayWinning, clothing boutique in the area, understands the frustrations that erupted in the 7-Eleven. When he first opened up his store, his windows were smashed and his store was robbed, Benton said.
"It's just been catastrophic in a way," he said about soft-on-crime policies, especially for his own boutique.
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"I believe [the workers] were frustrated, emotions was high, but I believe they did was courageous and did the right thing. Instead of taking a gun or taking something that could really harm him."
"And I'm glad the guy hit them below the belt. Not above the belt, but also to, you know, has come to a point where I know it was enough. So, you know, I wanted to make sure that everyone made it home that night. Everyone was safe and no one made a decision to take them completely to jail or for life or lose a life," he continued.
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