A sneaky customer at an Outback Steakhouse stole keys to a truck from an employee and he drove off with the vehicle.
The thief also stole a cellphone from another employee, but the GPS from the phone led the employee to the stolen truck.
Christopher Martinez was working at the restaurant in Albuquerque, New
Mexico, when 22-year-old Joshua Ortega, came in and took his keys and
another worker’s cellphone.
Martinez followed the phone’s GPS and located his pickup truck. He called police, but the thief left before police arrived.
When Martinez spotted the thief driving his truck a second time, he did
not wait for police. Instead, he confronted Ortega, and demanded he get
out of the truck.
Martinez said that when Ortega became aggressive and he feared for his life, he shot the thief in self-defense.
Ortega was hit in the arm, but was not seriously injured. He is facing
charges of auto theft and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Ortega, who has a long criminal history, is being held on $12,500 bail.
Martinez, who has no criminal record, was also arrested, and he was
charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and aggravated
assault.