A would-be robber made a fatal mistake in his attempt to hold up a Mayfair health food store on Monday afternoon. He brought a knife to a gunfight.
As a result, the woman shop owner emerged from the encounter unscathed, while the bandit, a 47-year-old ex-convict, ended up with a big hunk of lead in his chest, according to Philadelphia police.
The shooting occurred shortly after 5 p.m. at Stan’s Health Foods, 7161 Frankford Ave. Chief Inspector Scott Small said that the robber entered the store, brandished a hunting-style knife and jumped behind the cashier’s counter. The 46-year-old proprietor was the only other person in the shop.
“The suspect took the cash register from the counter and threw it to the ground,” Small said. “When it opened up, he started removing the money. He stood up and put the knife to the 46-year-old female’s chest. She produced a handgun [and] fired a single shot, striking him in the torso. He collapsed.”
As the robber fell, he dropped his knife, a folding model with a six-inch blade, according to Small. Yet, he was still clutching a $100 bill in his left hand when police found him on the floor behind the counter. The shop owner, who reportedly is a former cop, had called 911 after the shooting. A police officer took the suspect to Aria Health-Torresdale, where he died shortly after 6 p.m. Police have not released the names of the shop owner or the alleged robber. Acquauntances identified the shop owner as Sharon Doyle. Detectives recovered the cash register, a “large amount” of cash, the knife and the gun from the store. ••
