Victim captures robbery suspects
Posted to PIML by Lynell <[email protected]> with these comments.
“This story was on the news. They interviewed her and she was one POed lady. She had the shotgun with her and showed what she did. Looked like she knew how to use that gun. She told the perps, “Move and I”ll blow your damned heads off!” LOL! Gotta watch out for us Texas ladies–GRIN!”
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http://www.dallasnews.com/metro/1111met6beauty.htm
Victim captures robbery suspects
Police don’t recommend hairdresser’s response to crime
11/11/99
By Connie Piloto / The Dallas Morning News
Keaka Taylor stopped trying to reason with robbers who walked into the beauty shop where she works when they pointed a gun at her 10-year-old daughter.
Then, after the men fled with her belongings, Ms. Taylor grabbed a shotgun and did what police advise against: She chased them.
“The picture of that man holding a gun to my daughter kept flashing back in my face, and that image helped me be strong,” she said.
The 28-year-old hairdresser at Ebony Salon in the Red Bird area chased down the robbers and forced them to their knees until police arrived Tuesday night.
Officers arrested Christopher L. Henley, 17, and Jeffrey D. Sorrells, 18, on three charges each of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.
Each was in custody on $150,000 bail in the Lew Sterret Justice Center Wednesday. Detectives were seeking links to other area robberies.
Ms. Taylor, who is 5 foot 5 and 150 pounds, said she was surprised by her reaction.
Police still say chasing attackers is not the best approach.
“She took one heck of a risk, and we certainly don’t recommend citizens to do that,” said Dallas police Sgt. Ron Ellison. “At the same time, they have every right to do it if they feel competent.”
Ms. Taylor had just led a client to a hair dryer, and barber Maurice McClemore was trimming a 6-year-old boy’s hair when the men entered the salon in the 7400 block of Westmoreland Road, near Red Bird Airport.
Ms. Taylor’s daughters, 10-year old Victoria and 7-year old Tiffani, were in the salon.
The robbers demanded purses, wallets and jewelry, police said. Mr. McClemore gave the robbers $100. Ms. Taylor and her customer handed over their purses.
The men ran out the front door toward the Park Village apartment complex across the street. A guard at the complex saw the men run and called police.
Ms. Taylor dialed 911, then called a friend, Bridgette Lee-Smith, while Mr. McClemore hopped in his car and chased the robbers.
Minutes later, Ms. Lee-Smith brought a 12-gauge shotgun to the salon. Ms. Taylor grabbed the gun and ran into the apartment complex with Ms. Lee-Smith and the customer, police said.
Police said Ms. Taylor confronted the suspects when they walked out the front entrance of the complex. They were not carrying weapons, and investigators think they changed clothes after the crime.
She forced the pair to their knees and scolded them.
“You had no business putting a gun in my 10-year old daughter’s face,” she said she told the men.
One purse was recovered, in an apartment parking lot. Ms. Taylor says her purse, which was not found, contained an envelope with $430 inside to pay bills.
“I’ll have to work harder this week to try and make up for the money I lost,” she said. “The most important thing is that my daughter is safe and the police got the bad guys.”