Right place, right time.
Police in California released video of a quick-thinking sergeant casually walking into a 7-Eleven and springing into action when he realized that a suspect was trying to rob the store at gunpoint.
The CCTV video, posted on Instagram by the West Covina Police Department, shows a suspect, identified as Ramon Gonzalez, 48, holding up the 7-Eleven on Wednesday at around 8:30 p.m. West Covina is a suburban city in Los Angeles County.
Gonzalez, dressed in a gray hoodie and with a mask covering his face, walks up to the counter and asks the store worker if he can buy cigarettes, according to the West Covina Police Department.
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As the worker begins placing the cigarettes into a black plastic bag, the suspect can be seen in the video lifting his top and then brandishing a firearm before demanding the clerk open the register.
While the clerk loads the bag with cash, West Covina Police Sergeant Abel Hernandez can be seen entering the premises by chance.
He notices something is not right, apparently prompting Gonzalez to make a dash for the door with the bag while the clerk raises the alarm, pointing at the fleeing suspect.
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Hernandez then chases the thief out through the door and apprehends him.
Gonzalez was found to be in possession of a loaded handgun and around $400 cash that was returned to the store, police said.
"Right place at the right time," the caption to the video reads.
Gonzalez, of La Puente in Los Angeles, was taken into custody and booked for robbery, felon in possession of a firearm and carrying a concealed weapon, police said.
Commenters praised Sergeant Hernandez for his swift actions to thwart the alleged thief, while others acknowledged the clerk for being calm and delaying Gonzalez.
"Great job Sergeant Hernandez and the entire West Covina Police Department for keeping the community safe," wrote one Instagram user, while another wrote, "Very good job to the young man behind the counter. Thank you WCPD."
