Deputies Kill Robbery Suspect; Dog Wounded

A man suspected in a string of supermarket robberies was shot and killed by sheriff’s deputies in Paramount on Saturday and a sheriff’s dog was wounded in the shoot-out, a spokesman said.

The shooting began after deputies found a vehicle matching the description of one used in three recent supermarket robberies, said Deputy Chris Wahla, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Department.

Frederick Robuck, 25, of Long Beach ran from deputies into a garage, but a sheriff’s dog tracked Robuck down and indicated to deputies that the man was inside the garage by barking and scratching, Wahla said.

The dog, a 3 1/2-year-old Belgian Malinois named Arco, was sent into the garage with two deputies behind him when Robuck fired a single shot, hitting the dog in the side. The deputies returned fire, killing Robuck, said Wahla. Neither of the deputies was injured.

The dog underwent surgery at a Temple City pet hospital to have the bullet removed and was expected to fully recover, Wahla said. The dog has participated in more than 100 felony arrests in 18 months, officials said.