- Video: Men open fire in Fontana Wal-Mart
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The store manager suffered a gunshot wound to the leg was treated by ambulance as his concerned wife looks on. Fontana police say two robbers burst into the store at 8:30 a.m. and immediately targeted the store manager.
"It was a brazen act," said Fontana Police Sergeant Jeff Decker. "It was a very brave, brazen act of robbery, where obviously they had intent to get what they wanted, regardless of anybody around. Wal-Mart had people in it, regular shopping hours, 8:30 in the morning, and they fired a round deliberately into the manager's leg. We're not sure why they did that. It certainly got everybody's attention, and it also got the phone calls coming in to us."
With the police department just a few blocks from the store, patrol units were on the case within minutes. Sergeant Jeff Decker says the suspects fled in a U-Haul rental truck.
A short pursuit ensued, and officers caught up with the alleged robbers at Sierra Ave. and Arrow Highway where the driver, identified as Carlton Palmer, of Montclair, was arrested.
The passenger, identified as Cedric Timmons of Highland, got out of the U-Haul and made a run for it.
"Police K-9 actually found the suspect hiding in a backyard," said Sgt. Decker. "He was crouched down behind a plant and had an old, yellow rainjacket pulled over him, and he was kind of in an area concealed by a shed, but the dog found him. The dog bit him. We took him into custody."
Wal-Mart shoppers say they're shocked at how bold and violent this robbery was.
"It's pretty scary to hear that something like that happened, especially around here," said Wal-Mart shopper Edith Victoria.
"I don't know what the world's coming to," said shopper Jay Williams. "We need to start cracking down on this stuff, start taking care of business."
Fontana police say that they found stolen cash and a semi-automatic handgun inside of the U-Haul.
Both of the suspects have been booked for armed robbery and will likely face several other charges as well.
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