Heroic youth foils fast food robbery

Scant facial features are visible in this depiction of the robber taken from surveillance equipment.
Scant facial features are visible in this depiction of the robber taken from surveillance equipment.

CROSBY – An attempted robbery on May 23 at 3:37 a.m. left a young man that refused a gunman’s demands shot and the attempted robber fleeing with miniscule loot.

Malacheye Simpson, 18, was working his shift at the drive through window of Jack In The Box Restaurant in Crosby.

Law enforcement has declined to discuss a case with the investigation ongoing and most information concerning this case comes from the victim, coworkers and relatives and the restaurant camera. Harris County Sheriff’s Office would not comment on any reward.

Malacheye Simpson, shooting victim, recalls the ordeal of robbery and defense of his workplace.

According to the victim himself, “A hooded figure comes up from behind me talking all crazy with a gun, telling me to give him the register. I told him, ‘No!’ and we started fighting.”

Brawling inside the restaurant ended outside, Simpson recalled winning the battle for the pistol but discovered he had been shot from above down through his body and fell to the floor. The trajectory of the bullet damaged his diaphragm, kidney, intestine and colon, but doctors indicate expectation to make a full recovery.

The camera shows the fight, the shot and a badly acted attempt to access the cash box of the register. Failing that primary point of the robbery and seeing that now he lost the pistol, had shot someone, and reinforcements for the victim were on the way from the father, and getting no money, the loser swiped some sauces and dashed for the door.

Malacheye’s father Cole Simpson called his son a hero, adding, “He couldn’t have handled it a better way.”

Malacheye’s quick action allowed a female coworker to get to safety.

According to Stefania Okolie, “That man shot Malacheye right in his chest. Tonight he is still on the street.”

According to Malacheye’s aunt, Chelsea Esslinger, on Twitter, “There were numerous suspects, which are still at large, and they shot him in the chest and left him for dead. He went through 6 plus hours of emergency surgery. He’s stable and just got out of surgery. His father is with him. Surgery on diaphram, colon and intestine. The bullett went in through his chest, hit his lung and lodged in his hip. He still has a long road ahead, so please keep him in your prayers.”

According to Cole Simpson, “This guy needs to be caught and taken off the streets. It seems like they’d put a dragnet out to find this guy because he’s going to do it again.”