Man picking wife up from work confronts Walmart suspects

Katherine Scott Image
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Armed confrontation at Delaware Walmart
Armed confrontation at Delaware Walmart. Katherine Scott reports during Action News Mornings on June 12, 2018.

NEW CASTLE, Del. -- Two suspects, armed with a gun, who tried to rob a Walmart were confronted by a man picking his wife up from work.

It happened just after midnight Tuesday at the store in New Castle, Delaware.

Police said a man holding a gun entered the Walmart and confronted an employee at the register area of the store. They said the male suspect fired his weapon into the ceiling and demanded money.

A female suspect then entered the store and joined the man.

Police said another employee opened a secured door to an office to determine the cause of the commotion. The female suspect forced her way into the office armed with an unknown type of weapon, police said.

Both suspects entered the office and demanded cash.

Police said the two employees complied with the demands by turning over an undisclosed amount of cash to the suspects.

At the same time, Ron Eads had just pulled up in front of the Walmart to wait for his wife, who is a cashier at the store.

Eads saw the two suspects walk up to the store. He said the male suspect was wearing a mask, dark clothing, and had a gun.

They tapped on the glass door with the gun and went inside, Eads said. He at first thought it was a prank, but then heard the gunshot.

That's when he sprang into action.

"I got out of my truck, got underneath my back seat, got my breaker bar, and ran inside," Eads told ABC News.

Eads then confronted the masked male suspect.

"The guy's looking at me and he said, 'What do you want?' I said, 'I don't want nothing.' He said, 'Are you the man with the key?' I said, 'I ain't got no keys.' And he fired a shot at me," Eads said.

Eads said the pair then took off running and he threw the breaker bar at them. Police said the two suspects fled through the lawn and garden door.

Officers did search the store, but the suspects had already left.

No employees or customers were injured during the confrontation.