One of the two robbers of a bar-tobacco in Ustaritz (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) was arrested thanks to the intervention of several witnesses this Thursday evening.
His accomplice managed to escape with the proceeds of the robbery.
The arrested criminal is 16 years old, reports Actu Pays Basque.
A brawl occurred with the people involved.
The teenager was injured and taken to hospital by firefighters.
The two thieves had been spotted by customers of the bar sitting on the terrace as they left the establishment they had just robbed.
They were carrying the money from the crate and one of them was equipped with a sawed-off shotgun.
A witness managed to trap the latter inside the tobacco press by closing the door on him.
The manager of a nearby restaurant came to help.
The sawed-off shotgun was dummy
He helped the client keep the door closed despite the burglar's efforts to free himself.
The young thief then attempted to break a window by hitting it with his rifle, which broke since it was in fact a dummy firearm.
The customer and the restaurant owner finally got the better of the burglar.
Police on foot, dog teams and a helicopter were mobilized for search operations to locate the second thief.
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