Police: Scam artist pulls gun on auto shop employee during confrontation

BELLAIRE, TX (KTRK) -- Bellaire police need your help finding a man who pulled a gun on an auto parts store clerk while trying to scam the store.

Police say he has committed return scams at several O'Reilly locations in the area. He tried to hit the store on Spruce Street around 8:40pm Monday.

According to Bellaire police, O'Reilly's Loss Prevention recently told employees about the scam and posted a picture of the suspect.

When he came to this store, an employee recognized him from that picture and stalled him. Police say a few minutes later the suspect demanded the returned part back, and that led to an altercation. He pulled a gun, the employee backed down, and he left.

It was not the news customers expected to hear outside the store.

"Very concerning," said Ryan Elkins who lives nearby. "I'm just here working on my car and don't want anybody to come messing with me or pull a gun on me if I don't do what they say."

The suspect did not fire his weapon. Nobody was hurt. However, he's still out there somewhere free to scam someone else.

Police are hoping the public can help them catch him before he gets the chance.