A teenage robber was caught in the act Friday night after his friends ran off and left him to fight off two Chinese grocers and face the wrath of angry neighbors. That teenager is 17-year-old Winston James who is tonight in boot camp at the Hattieville Prison while police are searching for his two accomplices. We've been on the case since Friday night and here's the full story.
Keith Swift Reporting,
It may have looked like a block party, but it wasn't. On Friday night this crowd gathered on Fairweather Street because a robbery suspect was cornered in the yard outside this Chinese store. It began half hour earlier.
Store Employee,
"I had my eyes turned backway and I thought the TV was on and the boss was watching a action movie or something. When I looked back now I saw a gunman was in the shop but he didn't see my face. I just saw a gun in the air and I said this was for real."
Because it was close to 9 pm, the main shutter at the store's entrance was already pulled down so the three robbers jumped over this fenced and entered through that side door. There they met Li Meng Tang. He today spoke to us off camera.
Li Meng Tang, Robbed
"The black guy entered my shop, asked me where is my money and I told him it was in that draw there and then they tried to get the money from my draw. He opened the draw and took the money and the phone card and when he saw my cellular phone he took that and then he saw my laptop and he tried to take my laptop. After that the next two came in took the money and the phone cards and left the one with the handgun."
With some of the money and phone cards, two of the robbers fled and left the 17-year-old gunman behind in the store. It was now tang and his brother against one gunman. Somehow Li Meng Cheng, Tang's older brother, managed to wrestle the small handgun from the suspect and with the assistance of neighbors, wielding machetes and shotguns, they held him inside the yard.
That brings us back to Friday night and the scene on Fairweather Street. Dozens of residents watched as police investigators emptied the suspect's pocket and began to count what we can only presume to be money raided from the store. He was later removed from the compound, and while police on the scene were overzealous fiercely protected his identity.
The Police Press Office has since sent out his picture and identified him as 17 year old Winston James, robbery, aggravated assault and keeping an unlicensed firearm. And though you can say what tang and his brother did was heroic, they said they did it to stay alive.
Li Meng Tang,
"I didn't think about this guy, I was just thinking about helping my brother."
Employee,
"My other boss feels proud of himself because he got jacked."
Keith Swift,
Would you do what he did?
Employee,
"Personally, if it was my shop, my business, I would tell them to take what they want because I already know they know me and they could have shot me if they want or take what they want and shoot me."
What Tang will do is add more video cameras. He already has four spread throughout the store but none of them captured Friday's robbery attempt.
Police recovered $843 in cash, a cell phone, and $500 in phone cards from Winston James. They also recovered.22 revolver with one live around and two expended shells. 17-year-old Winston James was charged with robbery, aggravated assault, and possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition. He appeared in Family Court and was denied bail. His case was adjourned until March 8th.
