The owner of a Linden, N.J. deli went to extreme lengths to prevent a robber from making off with the deli's cash, dousing the criminal in 350-degree oil. The owner, who asked not to be identified, told the Star-Ledger it was all instinctive. “Frankly speaking, I did think, ‘If anything happens, I’ll throw hot oil on somebody,’” he said.“But I never thought it would really happen.” It happened.
The incident occured just after 2 p.m. yesterday, when police say a man wearing a winter coat that covered most of his face stormed into the deli and shoved a gun in the owner's face. When the owner ran to the back of the deli, the assailant attempted to open the register. He wasn't expecting the owner to return, let alone return armed with scorching-hot cooking oil from the deep fryer.
The robber stumbled through the counter and out of the deli. “I couldn’t just stand here and watch him take my money. We don’t rob people to make money. We work 12 to 15 hours a day to put bread on the table,” the owner explained. "I think that got him, he felt the heat, that's when he ran away.”
Authorities swept the area, but were unable to find the suspect. While detectives plan on examining surveillance footage in hope of identifying him, they've advised area hospitals to keep an eye out for anyone seeking burn treatment.
[via NJ.com]
