In a tense encounter at Cousins Liquor & Deli in Fountain Valley, a store clerk managed to turn the tables on an armed robber on Wednesday night. The incident, which occurred just after 9 p.m., was captured by the store’s security cameras.
The footage shows a white Nissan Altima sedan pulling up to the store front, and a masked man wearing a hoodie emerging from the passenger side. The store clerk, Jacko Sadek, spotted the man approaching and braced himself for a potential confrontation.
Sadek, who had experienced a robbery 15 months prior, managed to stay calm during the ordeal. On the previous occasion, he was assaulted by one of three armed men who entered the store.
As the masked man entered the store, he brandished a handgun and demanded money from Sadek, who was standing behind the cash register. All the while, Sadek calmly communicated with the suspect while subtly reaching for a hidden handgun near the cash register.
In a swift move, Sadek grabbed the hidden weapon, prompting the would-be thief to flee in terror. Sadek chased after the suspect, who escaped in the waiting getaway car.
Reflecting on the event, which unfolded in less than a minute, Sadek expressed relief that the situation ended without anyone getting hurt. The suspect, described as a young Hispanic male, remains at large. Sadek is now requesting that his landlord provide a security guard for the store, as it is the only business in the plaza open late at night.