Police: Store clerk killed beer thief
Police: Store clerk killed beer thief
Juan Romero was charged Sunday with murder. By Jeremy Schwartz, Andrea Lorenz AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Tuesday, August 18, 2009 A clerk at a Ben White Boulevard convenience store has been charged with murder after police say he shot and killed a man who was stealing a 12-pack of Budweiser early Sunday morning. Jorge Luis Vielma, 22, and another man were on a "beer run," according to police, and attempted to flee after taking the beer. Police say Juan Romero, 23, a clerk at the Shell gasoline station at Ben White and South First Street, fired about a dozen shots at Vielma outside the store as he ran for a friend's waiting Mitsubishi Eclipse. Vielma later died inside the car; his body was found early Sunday in the 1000 block of Mansell Avenue in East Austin. Romero was charged Sunday with first-degree murder and was being held Monday at the Travis County Jail. His bail has been set at $250,000. If convicted, he could face up to life in prison. According to an arrest affidavit, Vielma and a friend, David Campos, 30, were looking for a store to take beer from and settled on the Shell station. Campos told police that he parked the car while Vielma went inside for the beer. Campos said he then saw Vielma emerge running from the store and a short man with a limp in pursuit firing at him. After Vielma made it back to the car, Campos said that he went "into shock" and drove mindlessly to Mansell Avenue, abandoned the car and fled. He later called 911 to anonymously report the shooting, according to the affidavit. Police found the car, which was registered to Campos, shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday. When police arrived at Campos' apartment on East Oltorf Street, he was in the process of reporting his car as stolen, according to the arrest affidavit, but police said he soon admitted his role in the incident. Police didn't say whether Campos would be charged. Police said they later interviewed Romero, who said he fired a pistol about 12 times at Vielma, picked up the shell casings and put them in his vehicle. He also told police that he picked up the beer dropped by Vielma and threw it into a trash bin, and he deleted images of the incident from the store's video surveillance system. Sgt. Joseph Chacon said that although Texas law allows residents to take reasonable measures to defend their property, officials determined that, "at least on the face of it," the shooting was not reasonable. He said it did not appear that Vielma was armed at the time of the theft. Chacon said police are still trying to determine who owned the gun used in the shooting. The store's owner, José Carranza, told police that he had not authorized Romero to use deadly force to protect the store's property. Carranza said Monday that he did not know where Romero got the gun and that firearms are not kept in the store. Theft, however, has been a constant problem for Carranza and his clerks, he said. A sign taped to the door of the store addresses beer theft: "Due to the high number of dishonest people grabbing and running away (and) stealing our beer, we must require prepayment for beer." Carranza said that people have stolen from the store at least 10 times this year and that store clerks were robbed at gunpoint four times in the past two years. Each time, Carranza said, he was unable to get the attention of police, even though his workers were being threatened. "I'm frustrated with police," Carranza said. "They told us that's not our priority. Now it's a priority because somebody got hurt." Statistics from police on incident reports at that address were not immediately available. Consulting police records, Cpl. Scott Perry said there have been several thefts, but only one report of a robbery at the store in the past two years — in November — and that the suspect in that case was not armed. A robbery is defined as threatening or causing injury in the course of committing a theft. jschwartz@statesman.com; 912-2942 alorenz@statesman.com; 445-3972 Buzz up! Vote for this story! Find this article at: http://www.statesman.com/news/conten...tml?cxtype=rss |
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:lol: |
As far as I'm concerned when those assholes stole the beer they gave up their rights as given under the law. The clerk shouldn't go to jail because we have bleeding heart liberal laws that protect criminals.
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I remember doing that as a teenager. If I heard stories like this I would have never thought about doing that.
I think as long as that beer was in possesion of those guys (as in they still had his store's property) then they were fair game. Austin must be a mad house with them protesting Whole Foods. |
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There are morons everywhere in the world... Dude shouldn't go to jail though...Steeling beer is a Definite Crime!!! |
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And I don't stereotype Jersey because I know nothing about it. Houston on the other hand....:lol |
I wasnt pin pointing you or anything...Its just something That happens.
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I agree he should be charged with murder, but maybe Murder 2 at 15 years. The theif did not have a gun, nor did he pose a threat. I mean it was a 20 dollar pack of beer and he was already out of the store.
Now it is going to cost someone 10 grand to bury this guy over a 20 dollar pack of beer. Stealing alone does not constitute taking a life nor should it be tolerated. |
You guys can say what you like.
But, ultimately, this piece of shit won't be stealing anything any time soon. Agree or disagree, he won't be messing anybody's life anymore. |
He got what he deserved. Anyone should be shot for purchasing american beer, let alone stealing it.
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:zowned: I guess you really can't shoot any fleeing thief in Texas, unlike what some of you have claimed in the past.
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is it worth killing someone over a case of beer, you wouldn't think. but who knows, maybe clerk is also store owner and thats the XX time somebody has stolen beer........
i wouldn't think so, even if it was a "clean" shoot, atty fee's to go in ft of the grand jury are gonna cost you more then a case of beer. texas law: PENAL CODE TITLE 2. GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY CHAPTER 9. JUSTIFICATION EXCLUDING CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY Sec. 9.41. PROTECTION OF ONE'S OWN PROPERTY. (a) A person in lawful possession of land or tangible, movable property is justified in using force against another when and to the degree the actor reasonably believes the force is immediately necessary to prevent or terminate the other's trespass on the land or unlawful interference with the property. (b) A person unlawfully dispossessed of land or tangible, movable property by another is justified in using force against the other when and to the degree the actor reasonably believes the force is immediately necessary to reenter the land or recover the property if the actor uses the force immediately or in fresh pursuit after the dispossession and: (1) the actor reasonably believes the other had no claim of right when he dispossessed the actor; or (2) the other accomplished the dispossession by using force, threat, or fraud against the actor. Sec. 9.42. DEADLY FORCE TO PROTECT PROPERTY. A person is justified in using deadly force against another to protect land or tangible, movable property: (1) if he would be justified in using force against the other under Section 9.41; and (2) when and to the degree he reasonably believes the deadly force is immediately necessary: (A) to prevent the other's imminent commission of arson, burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, theft during the nighttime, or criminal mischief during the nighttime; or (B) to prevent the other who is fleeing immediately after committing burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, or theft during the nighttime from escaping with the property; and (3) he reasonably believes that: (A) the land or property cannot be protected or recovered by any other means; or (B) the use of force other than deadly force to protect or recover the land or property would expose the actor or another to a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury. -------------------------------------------------------- and if he's only a clerk -------------------------------------------------------- SUBCHAPTER D. PROTECTION OF PROPERTY Sec. 9.43. PROTECTION OF THIRD PERSON'S PROPERTY. A person is justified in using force or deadly force against another to protect land or tangible, movable property of a third person if, under the circumstances as he reasonably believes them to be, the actor would be justified under Section 9.41 or 9.42 in using force or deadly force to protect his own land or property and: (1) the actor reasonably believes the unlawful interference constitutes attempted or consummated theft of or criminal mischief to the tangible, movable property; or (2) the actor reasonably believes that: (A) the third person has requested his protection of the land or property; (B) he has a legal duty to protect the third person's land or property; or (C) the third person whose land or property he uses force or deadly force to protect is the actor's spouse, parent, or child, resides with the actor, or is under the actor's care. |
And in this case he pursued, then threw away the item that was stolen. Sounds like the item in question wasn't seen to be worth defending.
Well I guess he's going to prison. |
arrested and charged doesn't mean he's going to prison, it means arrested and charged.
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So if the cable company catches someone stealing cable, they are entitled to kill the cable thief?
What about some technician over at media sentry finds someone sharing a bunch of songs on line, and they find the persons adress....its ok with you guys if he goes over at puts a bullet between the guys eyes? |
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So are personal weapons meant for protection or punishment? |
in TX it's legal to kill somebody for stealing from you........songs to cars.......
i guess you think it's ok for people to steal from you. good for you i guess. |
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BTW,I have NEVER stolen anything in my life and I detest people who steal. |
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so we should model our criminal justice system off Iran's or Saudi Arabia? |
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as for the shooting itself, it's justified in TX law. |
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sure it's worth shooting somebody over. IMO
now is it cost effective,to shoot/kill somebody over beers, not really. but as a retailer are you gonna sell "road rashed" beer. naw. |
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Morally it's an interesting question. Technically you're taking "something" without paying for it, but the actual losses to the rightful owner are only theoretical- you wouldn't necessarily have purchased a song or service that you took for free, you may have just done without, and the net revenue to the owner would be exactly the same. So i would say no. |
e-thugs in this thread, lol.........You can say "hooray for him" all you want, but something makes me doubt you'd have done the same if you were the clerk
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I'm not an e-thug...just saying... :lol: |
Oh Rider, you're so macho.
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So have any of you guys downloaded music illegally? Snuck into a movie without paying? Cheated on your taxes?
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And I am guessing he would change his tune if someone shot his kid for stealing a piece of gum from the store. :rolleyes: You gotta be kidding me.... |
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By all means, let's go for Sharia Law and stop all the stealing. OFF WITH THEIR HANDS!
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If you found out your kid stole something, are you going to cut off thier hand? No. No you aren't. And not because you would go to jail, but because it's your kid and you'd have to be a pretty sick fuck to cut off your own kids' hand, or to allow someone else to do it. |
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I'm just claiming BS, that's all. :D |
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;) |
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What if you caught your neighbors kid stealing? Would you like the laws to change so that you could take a machete to your neighbors kid? |
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First punk tries to take his garden gnome as a prank...Rider is breaking out the guillotine. |
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Gots mad discipline fo dat ass. |
Whatever. I have better things to do like read soldier of fortune magazine than converse with you fools.
:lol |
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You don't kill people over some simple materialistic thing because the crime does not fit the punishment. We imprison people and put people to death for murder and guess what? There is still murder. These punishments don't deter murder, because most murder is spontaneous, not premeditated. Cutting off people's hands and stuff is fine and all, but now you have a bunch of handicapped people who are going to contribute much less to society than previously. Good plan. Not. The power to pardon is more admirable IMO than the power to punish. People are stealing because they usually cannot afford what they are taking, not necessarily because they are intrusively bad people. |
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does he have rights if he's an illegal alien thief? just checkin i bet you believe the crooks has more rights then the victim, it' ok in CA to admit it........ becuase he charged, he's automatically guilty? Quote:
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He has rights. He has rights even if he's an illegal. Those rights involve not being 'guilty' until having been found so, in a court of law. |
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"He has rights even if he's an illegal" yeah, we see how well thats going here, almost ever officer killed in houston this yrs has been killed by an illegal........yeah! |
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They have the right to a trial after which, if found guilty, they have a right to fry or spend a lifetime behind bars. Those are still rights. |
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at least in TX we have an express lane vs the rest of the states......:lol (and it still takes 7-8-9-10yrs) |
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Get caught stealing once, you chop off 1 hand, you get caught stealing twice you get killed because you are now a burden to society. |
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harsh! do it!!! |
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Are you asking him to work on his spelling or is it a direct request for him to spell "Ass nuts" for you? If the latter... etymology - 16th century "Ahznaught" |
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(..and what exactly do you plan on doing with all these hacked off limbs you plan on collecting from your neighbors children?) |
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Funny thing is, as tough as you pretend to be, you'd probably lay down and roll over when shit got violent. Most people who talk the talk, do so praying they'll never have to walk it, because they cant... But, by all means, keep it up. You amuse me. |
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The only hole around here big enough for me to crawl in might be your faggoty ass, and unfortunately for you, I want no part of that. Is that where your gonna store all those hands your gonna cut off? Why dont you go pick on some kids? They really are the only people your fooling... |
:lol
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Awww... Princess... You really are hurt...
He sent me an 'infraction' :lol Quote:
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There's a joke about a "reach around" in there somewhere but I'm not gonna be the one to dig for it. |
Wait? Can I send you an infraction for calling me a dipshit? How does this work...
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:blowup:
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Haha! That prick does that every time somebody calls him on his shit.
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SBN take 2
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One for use of naughty words and the other for threatening to beat people with the severed hands of children. |
Knock off the bullshit reporting.
I mean it. Oh, and play nice. Buncha babies.... |
Its just getting good!
And he started it! :lol |
I was just walking by minding my own business when suddenly...
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Respect the pseudo authoritay!
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