Case of life imitating art: In my novel Bank Job, which came out in 2005, a loser tries to rob a liquor store near Redding, CA, only to have the clerks chase him away by breaking bottles over his head. This week, a robber at a Redding liquor store was tackled by four citizens and arrested, even though he used a broken bottle to try to fend off the Good Samaritans.
The perp was identified by police as Otto Smalley, and if that's not a name from a Steve Brewer novel, I don't know what the heck is. Officers said the 45-year-old tried to use a knife to rob the liquor store/minimart where he was a familiar customer. Three guys suffered minor injuries from the broken bottle. Full story here. Be sure to check out the cool neck tattoo in the mug shot.
Oh, police say meth use apparently was involved. Surprise!
One report said that as Mr. Smalley was taken away in handcuffs, he kept muttering "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, but doggone it, people fight me!"
ReplyDeleteSteve, they spelled your name wrong in the article. Surely that was you and not Steve Bowers who helped take him down.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to seeing his name in one of your next novels; maybe along with many other stupid robbers you have noted in your articles!!
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