Gun store robbed

Dec. 5, 2006

By MARY AMES

Frontiersman

WASILLA - A disgruntled customer returned to Chimo Guns shortly before closing Sunday night, stuck a gun into the store owner's face and demanded a refund.

&#8220He came in with a .9 mm and said, ‘I'm going to kill you unless I get my money back,'” said Roy Wallis, Chimo's owner. &#8220The thing is, I think he would have killed me if I'd been by myself.”

With the Smith & Wesson Model 39 cocked and pointed at his head, Wallis moved to the cash register and opened it, he said. The man took $25 and left.

A friend who was in the store followed the robber to the Carrs parking lot and got a license plate number to give police, Wallis said.

&#8220He was driving a Lexus,” Wallis said. &#8220He should be lending me money. I drive a 1999 Pontiac.”

Wallis credits his friends in the store with doing the right thing - not jumping the man and not pulling their own guns. With the way the man was shaking and with the gun so close, any little reaction and the gun might have fired, he said.

&#8220As volatile as the situation was, everyone kept their cool,” said Ruth Josten, investigator with the Wasilla police. &#8220He went over to open the cash register, took $25 and left.”

The man didn't try to hide his identity, although no one in the store knew his name, Josten said. Everyone Josten interviewed said they didn't smell alcohol on the man's breath, so the robber likely didn't down booze before pulling a gun to rob a gun store.

But Wallis said he'd never seen anyone act like the man who had his finger on the trigger pointing the muzzle of a gun less than a foot from him.

&#8220He was shaky,” Wallis said. &#8220I've never seen anybody like that.”

&#8220It's pretty typical, if it's obvious a person seems rather spooled up, to ask yourself if there could be any other substances,” Josten said.

The man had bought a defective magazine for the .9 mm, and wanted to replace it, Wallis said. One of his employees offered a refund, or some ammunition as a trade earlier in the day, he said. About 5:50 p.m., the man returned, demanding they take back the ammo and refund his money, he said. When employees explained federal law prohibits the exchange of ammunition, the man left and returned with his gun and his demands almost immediately, he said.

&#8220It happened really fast,” Wallis said. &#8220I've been in business 30 years and been burgled once or twice, but nothing like that.”

Wallis will celebrate his 60th birthday today, and said he took his grandkids shopping yesterday.

&#8220It makes you think about life a little,” he said.

Josten said police have identified a suspect and expected an arrest in the case shortly.

Sunday's hold up was the first armed robbery in the Valley since the Palmer Carrs, the Susitna Professional Pharmacy and The Store in the Butte were held up in January. But it was the second gun-related crime in Wasilla in less than a week.

&#8220It's been a busy week with the situation at Fred Meyer,” Josten said.

On Nov. 27, Fred Meyer reported 25 stolen handguns to Wasilla police. According to the police report, 14 weapons were recovered from inside the store, and two weapons were found at a Schrock Road residence at 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 29. Six more guns were recovered from a Sarah's Way residence, and three more were recovered several hours later, the report said.

&#8220An employee made bad decisions,” Josten said.

Police arrested Aaron M. Smith, 22, of Wasilla, charging him with 25 counts of second-degree theft; and Travis G. Truitt, 21 of Wasilla, charging him with second-degree theft by receiving, the report said.

&#8220We got all the guns back and a couple of guys in jail,” Josten said. &#8220It was a really good outcome in what could have been a tragedy.”

Wallis praised the Wasilla police as well as the friends with him in his store Sunday night.

&#8220My hat's off to them,” he said. &#8220I think they're closing the case right now.”

Contact Mary Ames at

352-2284 or mary.ames@

frontiersman.com.