Owner shoots alleged robber inside Dallas store

DALLAS - A store owner in Northwest Dallas says he shot at robbers in his store when one tried to attack him.

The shooting happened around 6:40 a.m. Wednesday at the Tienda Mi-Mexico Meat Market on Northwest Highway near Community Drive.

Police say one of the suspected robbers was shot and killed while the second one ran away out the back of the grocery store off.

The store owner told FOX 4 he's been coming to work at the store every day for 15 years and was startled to see two men jump out at him from behind the counter in the dark. That’s when he says she started shooting.

Raul Rios says his brother-in-law owns the Mexican convenience store and meat market. Rios says his brother-in-law called him after encountering two suspects stealing money as he prepared to open for business Wednesday morning.

"He was coming in and he heard noise,” Rios said. “They came out from behind the counter. He felt threatened. He felt that he could get hurt. He carries a weapon and he used it."

While one suspect got away, the suspect that was shot is believed to have died among scattered coins near the back door that now bears a single bullet hole.

"He is pretty shook up because of what happened,” Rios said.

Investigators gathered evidence from inside and outside the store, which is popular among local workers. One man said it's a dangerous area and claims he was robbed at gunpoint on Tuesday.

"Right now, we're looking to see if there's any kind of cameras,” said Deputy Chief Thomas Castro. “We’re canvassing to see if we can find any witnesses. But at this time, we don't have anything definite on that."

Police say if they recover surveillance video and need assistance in identifying the second suspect, they will release the video.

Police say it’s too early in the investigation to determine if they will file charges against the store owner. Even if detectives don't file charges, the case will still be referred to a grand jury.