Local News in Brief : Victim Gets Theft Suspect
An El Monte man was being hailed as a hero by police Tuesday night after he chased two armed bandits for several miles, dodging bullets, before finally running one of them over with his car.
The incident began when two men held up the manager of the El Monte Pet Shop in the 4700 block of Peck Road early Tuesday evening, taking $120 from the store and another $120 and a watch from Francis Rioza, who was shopping there with his wife and daughter, Police Lt. Ken Jeske said.
The two bandits fled in a car and Rioza gave chase. Twice the men stopped their car and fired at Rioza, but he continued the pursuit until the getaway car crashed into a tree. One of the men fled on foot. Rioza rammed into the other one, who was standing in the road.
Emelio Rodriguez, 32, of El Monte was hospitalized in fair condition and will be booked on suspicion of robbery, police said. The second suspect was still at large.
Jeske said that Rioza, 33, followed the car to get its license plate number. But when the suspects started firing, “he got mad.”
“In my mind that man is a real hero,” the lieutenant said.
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