The young co-owner of a Queens cellular-phone shop could face charges after killing one of the fleeing thugs who robbed her yesterday, cops said.
While the law generally protects people who fire weapons if they’re threatened or acting to protect someone else, it doesn’t always protect those who fire at fleeing suspects.
A grand jury might have to decide whether to bring charges against the robbery victim, who was not immediately identified, cops said.
Robbery suspect Jose Colon, 38, was found several blocks from the shop in Flushing – slumped and bleeding behind the wheel of the alleged getaway van. He had been shot once in the head.
Also in the van was a bag containing $17,000 in cash taken from the store, police said.
Colon died several hours later at Booth Memorial Hospital, a spokesman there said. Police said they were still looking for two other robbery suspects.
At about 4:40 yesterday afternoon, police said, Colon and his accomplices entered Digital 2000, the cellular-phone shop at 60-04 Kissena Blvd.
One of the robbers hit the 27-year-old co-owner in the head with a cellular phone, police said.
As the robbers ran off, she fired at them with a 9mm semiautomatic kept behind the counter.
The woman fired twice, hitting Colon once, cops said.
They said it wasn’t clear whether the gun was properly licensed.
Mamun Ahmed, owner of a nearby computer business, described the woman who fired at the robber as “a very peaceful person.”
“I’ve known her for years,” said Ahmed. “We’ve never had a dispute about anything.
“She’s very sweet, very friendly. The other day, I was cleaning out on the street, and she offered me a cup of coffee.”
The cellular-phone shop, which is across the street from Queens College, is in a good neighborhood, Ahmed said – but he added that he’s seen more graffiti lately, and that the area seems “a little bit more hostile.”
“I’ve been here seven years now, and we’ve never had a situation like this,” he said. “It seems that things have deteriorated.”