From the North County Times of October 9, 2009
Man wrestles rifle from would-be robber
A store manager wrestled a loaded rifle from an unsuccessful thief Friday morning, then managed to get his license plate number after the robber tried to flee but got stuck in traffic.
Rodolfo Evaristo, 40, said all he could feel was fear as he stared down the barrel of a rifle at his store, Lopez Market, on 200 West El Norte Parkway. The robber had come in the front, but seeing no one there, had walked to the back of the store and demanded Evaristo give him cash. Evaristo put up his hands and begged the masked gunman not to shoot. Evaristo's brother, Simon Evaristo, 50, also witnessed the incident.
Without getting any money, the robber then tried to flee out the back door. He took one hand off the gun to try to push open the fire door, not realizing it was deadbolted below. With the gun down, and confident that his brother would back him up, Rodolfo Evaristo decided to make his move. He grabbed the rifle with both hands and managed to wrestle it away from the would-be robber while screaming for someone to call the police. The thief then unlocked the door and ran to a Jetta parked behind the store.
Evaristo was able to write down the car's license plate number, he said, because it got stuck in traffic on Escondido Boulevard.
An hour later, police found an abandoned Jetta with matching plates on the south side of town. Police eventually arrested Jose Zardon, 47, of Escondido and booked him on suspicion of armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is also investigating Zardon's immigration status.
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