According to police records from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a suspected robber who was attempting to steal a wad of cash while pistol-whipping a Family Dollar employee was stopped by an armed witness.
When staff members had already left for the day on September 13, Local 10 News reported that Nicolas Richard Lee Deas, 20, of Fort Lauderdale, and another male had apparently approached a Family Dollar employee.
According to reports, Deas told the worker he had to dash inside the store to get his mobile after leaving it there. The worker allowed Deas and the other man inside, but things rapidly turned chaotic.
“Give me the money, or I will kill you,” Deas told the employee, according to a Fort Lauderdale Police arrest report.
The worker led the two to the safe of the business, where the suspects placed a bag filled with $1,200 in cash inside. According to the police complaint, Deas pistol-whipped the employee in the neck and elbow.
Unbeknownst to Deas and his companion, a nearby business owner in the mall heard the commotion and reacted quickly.
According to police, the man entered the business, noticed Deas holding a revolver, and ordered him to drop it and get to the ground. While the second suspect ran, Deas carried out the directives.
Until the cops arrived, the armed good Samaritan held Deas at gunpoint.
On charges of armed robbery, aggravated assault with the intent to commit a felony, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, grand theft of a firearm, and carrying a hidden weapon against the law, Deas was brought into custody without bond. Police claim that the gun Deas is accused of using during the alleged attempted robbery was stolen.
The accomplice’s identity is unknown, and it’s not known if he has been detained.
