LAKELAND, Fla. (WSVN) — The owner of a Central Florida gas station was arrested after deputies said he shot a man who was stealing beer from their convenience store.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said 43-year-old Rennie Defoe, Jr. grabbed three cases of Natural Ice beer, worth $36, and fled the store.
That’s when one of the store’s owners, 22-year-old Mehedeun Hasan, followed Defoe into the parking lot with a gun to confront him.
As Defoe threw the beer in his Toyota Camry and shut the door, Hasan pointed his gun at him, then opened fire as Defoe put the car in reverse.
Defoe crashed his car less than a mile away, WTVT reports. He was rushed to a nearby hospital and was last listed in critical condition.
Deputies arrested Hasan for attempted murder. Investigators said he has no prior criminal history.
Defoe had recently been released from prison, had previous charges of robbery, domestic battery and drug possession on his record.
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