A man who police say was shot by a laundromat owner after he robbed him at knifepoint is now facing charges.
Marcus Quinones, 41, is charged with robbery, aggravated assault, theft, simple assault and other related offenses.
Investigators say Quinones entered a laundromat on the 2800 block of N. 5th Street. Quinones, who was carrying a knife, forced the laundromat owner, who was behind the counter, to give him $2,000, investigators said.
As Quinones left with the money, the laundromat owner grabbed a revolver and began to chase him, police said. Quinones threw the money in the air as the owner ran after him, according to investigators.
"I saw one of the guys running with a pack of money," Angel Perez, the owner of a store next to the laundromat, said. "When this guy ran he told him three times, 'Stop! Stop! Stop!'"
Quinones then allegedly turned around and raised his arm towards the owner. The owner then fired five shots, striking Quinones twice in the chest, investigators said. A 51-year-old woman who was standing on the corner and waiting for a bus was also shot twice in the left hand. investigators say she was an innocent bystander.
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Surveillance video showed neighbors swarming the sidewalks and picking up the cash the suspect had thrown to the ground.
"People running north, south, west, east," witness Elvin Gonzalez said. "Then all of a sudden I'm like, 'Why are people coming back?' Because they saw the money flying in the air."
Police say all the money that Quinones stole and threw to the ground was stolen again by the onlookers. At a news conference Monday, they urged those people to turn the money over to authorities or face possible consequences.
Both Quinones and the woman were taken to the hospital. Quinones was listed in critical condition while the woman was listed as stable.
The owner of the laundromat was taken into custody for questioning. He has a license to carry and cooperated with investigators. Since the owner thought Quinones was armed and feared for his life, he wasn't charged with the shooting, according to police.
