Bumbling bandits.

The robbery plan seemed simple enough. While Christopher Drews remained outside in the getaway car, Anthonial Brock Jr. would go into Sadler's Food Mart in P.O. Mesquite, Texas, brandish his handgun, and demand money from a frightened, compliant clerk. For a few moments, everything went according to that script alter Brock entered the convenience store in the late evening of May 14. The heist would likely have succeeded, had he not overlooked the possibility that the clerk would be both armed and willing to fight back. Rather than surrender cash when ordered to do so, the unidentified store employee pulled a handgun from under the counter and fired a shot that struck Brock in the upper body. Brock hobbled out the door and into the waiting get away car. He and Drews then sped away.

Their plan went further awry when a Mesquite police officer patrolling in the area was notified of the attempted robbery by dispatchers. He saw the car racing from the scene, pulled it over, and arrested the two suspects. Drews was booked into the city jail on suspicion of robbery, while Brock was taken to Baylor Medical Center-Dallas and charged with first degree aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. If convicted, he could spend five to 99 years in prison. The two suspects were also wanted in connection with three other area robberies.

The store clerk was not expected to face any charges for defending himself and his employer's property.