West Covina officer walks in on armed robbery

LOS ANGELES - This cop was in the right spot at the right time…as he walked in on a robbery in progress. 

Surveillance video shows a suspect robbing a 7-Eleven convenience store in West Covina. The suspect pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded he open the cash register. The employee complied and began placing money into the plastic bag. 

But luckily, time was on his side; just as the employee was finishing up, Sergeant Hernandez of the West Covina Police Department walked into the store. The suspect began walking towards the exit, but the employee quickly alerted Sgt. Hernandez. He chased the suspect and took him into custody. 

"What really alerted me was once I went in, Mr. Singh is usually a jolly person, always with a smile. But as I entered the store I saw the fear in his face and knew something was up," Sgt. Abel Hernandez told FOX 11. 

"It was so quick, it happened so fast. To be honest, to me it seemed slow, I looked at the video and it seems like I took off pretty quick but everything slowed down, but I was able to catch him 15, 20 feet right outside the doors of the store."  

Hernandez is a 17-year veteran of the police force and is an Army veteran who did three tours.

A loaded handgun was recovered and all the stolen cash was returned. The suspect, 48-year-old Ramon Gonzalez, was taken into custody and booked for robbery, felon in possession of a firearm, and carrying a concealed weapon.