Sgt. Ricardo Schebesta, Staff Sgt. Bryson Twigg and Staff Sgt. Ben Shoemaker/Marine Corps Recruiting Station Seattle photo
NY Daily News: A Washington woman needed the help of a few good men to stop two thugs who were trying to rob her. Luckily for her, she was standing outside a U.S. Marine recruitment center.
A group of three Marines at the Lynnwood facility rushed outside when they heard the victim call for help and even caught one of the two fleeing suspects.
The incident happened at 4:56 p.m. Tuesday when the woman, who is in her sixties, was walking to her truck that was in a mall parking lot. Two suspects approached and said they had a gun and were going to rob her, police said.
But the victim, who was a retired police officer, refused to comply and even pushed one of the suspects before calling for help. She began honking her horn hoping someone would come to her aid.
Staff Sgt. Ben Shoemaker told the Daily News they saw the woman frantically drive around the parking lot and driving over curbs. He ran to her truck and the victim told him what had happened. “She said, ‘Help, they are trying to rob me. They have a gun,'” he said. “Then she screamed help repeatedly.”
Shoemaker and his two colleagues, Staff Sgt. Bryson Twigg and Sgt. Ricardo Schebesta, then ran after the two suspects. Shoemaker said he did not hesitate even though he was warned the suspects said they had a gun.
“I’ve been shot at before. It’s not as bad as everyone thinks,” said the Marine of 11 years who has served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. “Most people miss.”
Shoemaker caught up to 19-year-old Diego Tavares and put him in a wrist lock and stood next to him until officers arrived and arrested him. “I was wearing my dress blues. I was not going to the ground,” he said.
Tavares is currently being held on $25,000 bail, reports TV station KIRO7. The second suspect, who is between ages 18 and 20, remains at large.
Hooah!
DCG