A violent altercation at Los Comales Mexican Bar & Grill on Perkins Road in Parkway Village led to a restaurant worker being critically wounded after he intervened to stop suspects from stealing his car, WREG reports. The incident occurred shortly before 8 p.m. on Sunday, with the employee suffering gunshot wounds to his finger, upper leg, and elbow after confronting the two would-be thieves who attempted to break into his 2020 Dodge Charger, as they shot him and fled in a white Nissan sedan.
According to FOX13 Memphis, the Memphis Police Department highlighted the danger of such confrontations, noting that the victim, identified as Camilo Rodriguez, was inside Los Comales when he noticed the initial break-in attempt and after scaring off the suspects, reentered the premises to contact law enforcement that the suspects brazenly returned and engaged with Rodriguez in a second confrontation, resulting in the shooting. The case sparked a local debate with one community resident Mary Allen saying, "I would not try to stop them on my own. I don’t want to get shot," contrasting with another resident Christopher Woodard viewpoint, "You risk your life sometimes because it’s your hard-earned money, your property."
The shooting incident, which led to more than a dozen restaurant patrons being at risk due to the bullets also striking the establishment, distressed the local community and raised questions on the sensible course of action in response to property crimes. Action News 5 reported several casings found at the scene, and detailed the suspect vehicle as a white Nissan sedan with an "American Center" tag on it; local police have been canvassing for witnesses and pertinent information to aid in the apprehension of the suspects.
Following the shooting, Los Comales took to their Facebook page, expressing relief that their employee was out of risk and recovering, and shared plans to bolster security measures, "As many of you may know, we were victims of an automobile robbery last night that caused damage to our restaurant and one of our employees. Thankfully our employee is currently out of risk and now recovering. We will increase our security to ensure the safety of all our customers and employees," according to the WREG reports. reflecting a stance that underscores the establishment's commitment to safety amidst the trying times, the incident calling for collective contemplation in the community over the balance between asserting ownership and heeding personal safety in the face of criminal activities. Those with information that might assist in the investigation can reach out to CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH.
