GA: Moving after this Shooting made sense

A legally armed man stopped a string of robberies related to online ads in Georgia, by shooting and killing the robber.   It appears that at least four other robberies occurred before the robber was shot.   The old adage, if it looks to good to be true, it probably is, applies. 

In a twist, the robber offered high prices for the goods, then robbed the victims of the goods at gunpoint.  It is more common for robbers who set people up online to pretend to be sellers, who then steal the cash.  Cash is much more desirable than property, because  property loses considerable value when fenced.  The property at risk in this case was a purebred English Bulldog.    The asking price for the dog was $2,000.  When the robber offered $2,500 for a quick sale just after midnight, the seller did not turn it down, but brought along a friend with a .40 caliber Glock, as insurance.  The pretext for the midnight sale was that the "buyer" was a trucker who worked odd hours.  From rapidadvocate.com:

Walter Gonzalez went with Burgos to make the sale and he said they were both initially reluctant to meet the buyer after dark.

“When I got home from work and my friend told me this guy wanted to buy the dog, it was kind of fishy because, he wanted us to deliver the dog the same night, and we didn’t want to do it,” said Goznalez.

“But the suspect offered him an additional $500, and so for $2,500, he then agreed to meet him,” said Parish.

Two men were waiting outside when the dog seller and armed companion arrived.  Burgos, who was armed, stayed in the vehicle.  Instead of showing cash, the robber displayed a pistol and ordered Burgos to get out of the car.  We do not have all the details of what happened next.   But as Burgos exited the car, he accessed his .40 caliber Glock and opened fire, killing the robbery suspect.   The accomplice fled behind the residence.   

Gonzalez and Burgos then made a smart move.  They left the scene, drove off a short distance, and called the police.   They said that with an accoplice on the loose, they feared that he might return.  It made perfect sense to leave the scene in this case.  From ajc.com:

After Friday’s shooting, Gonzalez and Burgos told police they left the scene with the bulldog because they feared the other man that was with the suspect would return. They topped a short distance away and called police.

Safety should be the top priority.  It is good to stay at the scene and preserve evidence.  It shows you in the proper light as the innocent victim.  But tactics and safety come first.   But in this case, the dog seller and his armed friend did the right thing.   Waiting around in an unsecured location with a known hostile  on the loose would have been a mistake.  

When the police investigated the incident, four other people came forward.  All had been robbed at the same location, one only the day before, and two had not reported it to the police.   Bulldogs must be in high demand in the area, because the incident from the previous day also involved an expensive animal.

If the other victims had quickly reported the crimes, Gonzalez and Burgos might have been forewarned and insisted on a different time and location for the exchange.  Then again, they might not.  The extra $500 offered was a powerful inducement to place them in jeopardy.

Deals that are too good to be true often are.

The deceased suspect has not yet been identified.

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
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