17 YO Employee Knocks Out Robber at Pizza Restaurant

**kellyhound** · #1 ● 07-16-2008, 05:23 PM

DENTON, Texas July 11 2008 -- Police said a robbery caught on tape turned into a family affair as a clerk beat the disguise off a co-worker's father.

Police in Denton, Texas, said the would-be robber knocked out by a clerk at the Pizza Patron was the father of the cashier on duty, and that her mother and husband were also involved.

Benjamin Ramirez was arrested after clerk Rudy Sandoval fought back during the attempted robbery, knocking Ramirez out cold.

Stephanie Martinez was working behind the register at the time, but claims she did not know the alleged robber was Ramirez, her father, until Sandoval's punches knocked off the wig and glasses he had used to disguise himself.

"The man came in and said, 'Give me the money,' and I was getting it," Martinez told the Denton Record-Chronicle. "And then [Sandoval] hit him and knocked him out and knocked off his wig and I dropped the money. I said, 'Don’t hit him again. That's my dad.'"

Surveillance video shows Martinez pulling Sandoval away from her father.

Ramirez regained consciousness and fled the store before police arrived, but witnesses followed the getaway car and were able to lead police to the trio, police said.

Ramirez, 41, Sonia Palacios, 38, and 26-year-old Jose Miquel Martinez were all arrested and charged with aggravated robbery.

Martinez was later freed on $50,000 bail, but Ramirez and Palacios were held on immigration charges.

Investigators said they currently do not believe that Stephanie Martinez knew her family was planning to rob the restaurant where she worked and don't plan to file charges against her.