Bronx bodega owner faces charges for shooting robbers with gun he ‘found’ in store

A gutsy Bronx bodega owner is defending himself against weapons charges aft utilizing a weapon helium says helium recovered successful his deli against a brace of masked equipped robbers who were trying to instrumentality up the spot connected Thanksgiving Day.

Jhony Gomez, who has operated Mi Gerizin Market successful the borough’s Melrose territory for 13 years, said helium was shocked erstwhile helium recovered a firearm abandoned successful the restroom trash tin aboriginal connected Nov. 28 erstwhile helium opened his store for business.

Gomez told supporters that helium intended to crook the limb implicit to authorities aboriginal successful the time connected his mode to church. He ended up utilizing the weapon instead.

“He acted successful a infinitesimal of panic to support his life, his customers and his employees from equipped robbers,” said Fernando Mateo, a spokesperson for the United Bodegas of America.

Fernando Mateo speaks to the property connected Wednesday astir charges against Jhony Gomez for firing a weapon astatine 2 equipped robbers successful Gomez’s Mi Gerizin Market bodega, connected Elton Ave., successful the Bronx, connected Thanksgiving morning. (Shawn Inglima for New York Daily News)

According to Mateo, 2 masked gunmen stormed into the bodega soon aft 9:15 a.m. demanding cash, telling everyone to spell to the backmost of the store and prevarication connected the floor.

Gomez told cops that, reasoning quickly, helium retrieved the weapon helium had recovered conscionable a mates of hours earlier and fired respective shots astatine the bandits, wounding 1 of them successful the foot.

The bodega proprietor said helium feared for his beingness and for the information of the customers successful the store. But present he’s telling supporters that he’s acrophobic again — that justness won’t beryllium served.

United Bodegas of America supporters are pictured extracurricular Mi Gerizin Market successful the Bronx connected Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (Shawn Inglima for New York Daily News)

According to officials, the wounded alleged robber was aboriginal arrested, treated and past released. Gomez, meanwhile, was successful tribunal Wednesday facing charges of transgression possession of a limb and transgression possession of ammunition.

“We don’t recognize the system,” Mateo said. “The strategy is failing each New Yorkers, each of us. The information that those robbers are escaped portion Jhony is being prosecuted is an injustice that nary New Yorker should tolerate.”

Mateo said Gomez opened his bodega astatine 6 a.m. connected Thanksgiving Day.

“A time erstwhile astir radical are location with their families, this antheral came to his bodega, opened it up,” helium said.

In beforehand of Mi Gerizin Market, successful the Bronx, connected Wednesday, Gomez Rosa, the eldest girl of Jhony Gomez, speaks to the property astir her begetter being charged for firing a weapon astatine 2 equipped robbers who tried to rob his bodega connected Thanksgiving morning. (Shawn Inglima for New York Daily News)

While routinely checking retired the bathroom, Gomez recovered a gun, Mateo said.

“He can’t adjacent the store and tally retired erstwhile he’s busy,” helium explained. “He holds the gun, hopefully, to instrumentality it aboriginal successful the time to his constabulary precinct connected his mode to church.”

Mateo said Gomez, who was moving down the antagonistic astatine the time, utilized the weapon due to the fact that helium feared for his beingness and the lives of his customers.

Gomez, a hubby and begetter of four, surrendered to constabulary connected Tuesday.

Yhojeidy Gomez Rosa, the eldest girl of Jhony Gomez, speaks successful defence of her begetter aft helium was charged with firing a weapon astatine equipped robbers who stormed into into his Bronx bodega connected Thanksgiving morning. (Shawn Inglima for New York Daily News)

“How bash you spell from being a leader to going to jail?” Mateo said. “The ones who are not criminals are the ones who are being persecuted. They are the ones being held accountable for the crimes different radical commit.”

Mateo said helium asked Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark to driblet the charges against Gomez.

“He doesn’t merit to beryllium successful jail,” Mateo said. “He deserves to get a proclamation from the politician of the metropolis of New York for redeeming lives.”