A suspected armed robber is reportedly planning to sue the man credited with stopping him. The mother of 30-year-old Ryan Florez says he wants to file a lawsuit against 58-year-old Cregg Jerri, according to Fox5NY report.
Cops in Fresno, California say Florez held up a local Starbucks in July, wearing a Transformers mask, and armed with a gun, and knife. That’s when Jerri, a customer, walked up behind him, and hit him with a chair. Surveillance footage shows two men struggling. The individual identified as Jerri gets the robber to the ground, and stabs him with the blade multiple times before the suspect managed to run out the door. Cops say they arrested Florez minutes later, and discovered his gun was fake.
Jerri sustained, but survived, a stab wound to the neck, authorities say. The suspected robber fared a little worse. Florez’ mother, Pamela Chimienti, said her son sustained 17 “stab wounds, lacerations, and defensive wounds.” She doesn’t defend what Florez allegedly did, but argues that Jerri went too far.
“This guy, in my opinion, went from a good samaritan to a vigilante,” she told Fox. Chimienti argued Jerri didn’t need to stab Florez so many times to subdue him.
Fresno Police Chief Jerry P. Dyer said the threatened lawsuit is “ludicrous.”
Law Newz could not reach Jerri for comment. As for Florez, he remains in jail, charged with attempted armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. He is scheduled for a court date in October.
[Screengrab via Starbucks surveillance footage and Fox5NY]