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Suspect Shot Following Westminster Jewelry Store Heist

WESTMINSTER (CBS) — A shopkeeper at a Westminster jewelry store turned the tables on two armed robbers on Monday, according to police.

One suspect is hospitalized and in critical condition following the attempted robbery.

At about 1:10 p.m., two men, one in a wheelchair, came to the Tick Tock jewelry store and allegedly ordered people down on the ground and pointed guns at customers.

The shopkeeper reportedly took out his own gun and allegedly ordered the gunman to drop his weapon. When the robbery suspect refused, the shopkeeper shot the suspect in the face.

"I saw people under the table, I saw people running, they ran for their life. After that, I saw one of the robbers on the floor and the owner of  Tick Tock pointing a gun at him," Ming Wei, a business owner at the shopping mall told CBS2/KCAL9 reporter Michele Gile.

The one suspect who was shot attempted to flee, but someone managed to shut the doors to the shop and were able to detain the suspect, witnesses told CBS2/KCAL9 reporter Michele Gile.

The unidentified suspect was transported to UCI Medical Center in Orange in critical condition, according to Marc Stone of the Orange County Fire Authority.

The second suspect attempted to flee, but was chased down by customers and security guards, according to witnesses. The suspect was taken to Fountain Valley Hospital to be treated for minor injuries, according to Stone.

The Tick Tock jewelry store is located at 9200 Bolsa Avenue.

Westminster police say a third suspect, the getaway driver, remains at large. Authorities believe the suspect may be driving a silver 2008-2010 Honda Accord.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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