A third-degree black belt waiter successfully fended off a robber who attempted to yank open the cash register from a Texas IHOP restaurant.
Elijah Arnold, 22, told local WFAA he was just opening up the diner located on the Northwest Side in San Antonio early Thursday when he heard an alarming noise coming from inside.
‘I just heard the register popping … I stepped out and looked and there he was pulling the register out and everything so I just took off.
A black belt IHOP waiter fended off a robber who attempted to yank open the cash register from a Texas restaurant
Elijah Arnold, 22, said he was opening the diner on the Northwest Side in San Antonio early Thursday when he heard an alarming noise coming from inside
He said he ‘heard the register popping ‘ and ‘stepped out and looked and there he was pulling the register out’
‘My instinct kicked in and I took off full speed at him,’ Arnold said in an interview later on with the news station.
In surveillance footage, the suspect can be seen using a crowbar as he tries to aggressively break open the register.
Arnold is then shown tackling the suspect before the man drags him face down through the diner before brutally hitting him in the face with the crowbar.
‘He’s tries to start apologizing to me, (saying) oh, I’m so sorry, I know I hit you, I know I’m trying to steal your money … but just give it to me. I need it really bad,’ Arnold recalled the suspect saying to him during the incident.
Surveillance shows the suspect using a crowbar as he tries to aggressively break open the register
Arnold is then shown tackling the suspect before the man drags him face down through the diner before brutally hitting him in the face with the crowbar
‘He’s tries to start apologizing to me, (saying) oh, I’m so sorry, I know I hit you, I know I’m trying to steal your money … but just give it to me. I need it really bad,’ Arnold recalled the suspect saying
In a twist to the story, Arnold told WFAA he felt he was able to relate to the man who broke in – as he admitted to being a recovering drug addict.
The mixed martial arts expert said he had been employed at IHOP for four years prior to getting involved with drugs and other bad habits, which ultimately left him living on the streets.
Eventually, he knew he had to clean his life up – that’s when he reached out to his managers, who were willing to give him a second chance.
Arnold said he felt he was able to relate to the man who broke in – as he admitted to being a recovering drug addict
Arnold was thrilled when his managers thanked him afterward. He said, ‘that was the biggest thing I could have – was the thank you from my managers’
Arnold said he felt a strong responsibility to take action during what could have been a life-threatening incident.
‘When I walked up to my managers today, they just congratulated me and said thank you,’ he said proudly.
‘So that was the biggest thing I could have – was the thank you from my managers.’
Police said they arrested the one suspect, while a second said to be involved has not yet been captured.