An armed robbery in New Orleans East ended in fatal gunfire when a store manager shot two suspects. One of the individuals, 16-year-old Cecil Batiz, was killed, while the second suspect, 18-year-old Teony Juarez, received injuries, according to the WDSU. The incident unfolded at Sam's Meat Market shortly before 8 p.m. on Tuesday, and has since been a subject of police investigation.
The Orleans Parish coroner confirmed Batiz’s identity, and Juarez is now facing multiple felony charges that include armed robbery and aggravated assault with a firearm, WNDU has reported. Witnesses said the suspects were demanding money, forcibly, when the confrontation took place. "They came in, and were like ‘money, money, money, money.’ That’s all they said," store manager Diaa Hamed told WNDU.
Surveillance footage from the scene captured the employee, who has not been named, reaching for a weapon and shooting at Batiz and Juarez after complying with their initial demands. "We all carry guns, but we hope not to use them, however in this situation we had to," Hamed explained, as quoted in the interview with WNDU. The New Orleans Police Department responded to the robbery call at 7:52 p.m., and paramedics subsequently transported Batiz to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Currently, the employee who fired the shots is not facing any charges, while the store's staff reportedly remains shaken by the violent event. The ongoing police investigation aims to piece together the details of the attempted robbery and shooting. More information on the case as it develops can be found on local news outlets including NOLA, who also identified the deceased suspect and provided information on the arrest and charges against Juarez.
