Video captures suspects using pepper spray in bold robbery attempt at Walmart
HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Honolulu Police are investigating a shameless attempted robbery at the Keeaumoku Walmart Store Saturday night.
Cell phone video of the two female suspects getting away while a pepper sprayed Walmart employee cries in pain has gone viral.
“Everyone was in complete shock. I was just glad that the thieves didn’t pull out no gun,” said Tehani, a Walmart customer who filmed the aftermath of the attack with her phone.
It happened around 10 p.m. Saturday night when the two women allegedly tried to leave the Walmart with two flat-screen televisions without paying for them.
After Walmart employees tried to block them at the exit, one of them pulled out pepper spray and began dosing employees and customers, said Tehani, who was wearing a mask at the time.
“I actually smelled the pepper spray and at first my eyes were itchy but it wasn’t as bad as the others,” she said.
Witnesses said the suspects dropped the televisions but were able to get away.
Because the suspects allegedly used force and used pepper spray as a weapon, the attempted robbery will likely be classified as a Class A felony, which is a serious offense.
That’s punishable by a 20 years in prison if the suspects are found guilty.
Retail experts say bold crimes like this are on the upswing.
“We’re seeing more and more of this. People coming in with box cutters, people coming in with syringes and we don’t know what it’s filled with and just trying to get away with ... just grabbing and going,” said Tina Yamaki, president of the Retail Merchants of Hawaii.
We’re told police have stepped up their investigation and could identify the suspects as early as this week.
Tehani said she hopes her video will help expose the suspects.
“I hate thieves. I’ll always hate them. They want to do a bizarre act like this, let’s make them famous, let the world see them,” she said.
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