Robbery victim spots suspect buying ammo at sporting goods store

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A suspect in a deadly weekend robbery has been arrested, thanks to a strange twist of fate. That arrest happened at an Academy sporting goods store in north Harris County, and it wouldn't have been possible if a previous robbery victim hadn't recognized the suspect while he was buying more ammunition.

All the pieces came together in this investigation. Sergio Gil, 22, is charged with capital murder. Investigators say he has confessed to his involvement in several smoke shop robberies, including the one over the weekend that ended in murder.

The robberies at several area smoke shops were terrifying for employees inside.

"He starts demanding all the cash, telling us he's going to kill us if we don't give him the video because he doesn't want his face shown," recalled a clerk who didn't want to be identified.

Saturday night on FM 529 clerk Zaiuddien Khan, 44, was killed during the crime. An employee at another store hit this month describes what he put them through after stacking items at the counter, posing as a customer.

"I literally blacked out for about five seconds and realized it was serious," the clerk explained. "I thought he was trying to scare us until he started shooting."

In her case the man's intentions seemed to backfire. As he changed his focus between the employee and the owner, it gave them both a chance to pull guns of their own.

She said, "He sees me pull the store gun from the register and tries to shoot back and the gun he was using he didn't know how to use. It jammed up and bullets started falling out and he ran out of the store."

The owner of that store was shopping at Academy on Sunday when he saw a man buying lots of ammunition and recognized him as the man who robbed his store. He told an off-duty officer. The female clerk even showed their surveillance video to officers.

She said, "The first thing he said when the cop arrested him, he looked me in the eyes and said, 'I should have killed you when I had the chance.'"

Many smoke shop owners and workers are relieved Gil is behind bars, but say they aren't letting their guard down.

The clerk added, "I guess he wanted us to feel guilty we turned him in, saying he needed the money to feed his kids. But he killed somebody who has kids."

Investigators are trying to how many smoke shop robberies Gil may be linked to.