Robbery halted by grandmother with a gun

[Tim Nunan]

http://www.wisn.com/news/south-east-wis ... ource=wisn

MILWAUKEE —Robberies happen far too often, but a robber coming face-to-face with a gun-carrying grandmother is a little more rare.

Ernestine Aldana owns a grocery store near the corner of Muskego Avenue and Becher Street in Milwaukee. On Dec. 14, Aldana was working in the store when a man entered the store and pulled a knife on her.

"I was really scared," she said.

But as the man reached for cash from the drawer, Aldana pulled a gun from underneath the counter.

"I didn't think," she said. "I didn't remember what was being said. I just took a step back, grabbed the gun and that was that."

As the gun came out, the man ran away.

Aldana said she and her husband have owned the grocery store for just over two years and have not encountered any problems before this. She said her son bought the gun for their protection, but they never thought they would have to use it.

"My son took me out to the shooting range," she said. "I did twice (shoot the gun)." But she said other than those two shots at the range, she has never fired the gun. But on that day, she came close.

"I probably shouldn't say this, but I think I was going to shoot the gun," she said. "But he was already running away. Once his back was turned, I couldn't do it."

Milwaukee police said Thursday that an arrest had been made in the case after they released the surveillance video.