A Florida thug made a fatal error when he tried to use a fake gun to rob a man armed with a very real pistol.
According to Florida police, the crook was killed during an attempted robbery using a fake gun made out of a screwdriver duct-taped to a piece of wood.
The story of the criminal’s demise was told during a press briefing by Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
Judd told reporters in a media briefing that the deadly self-defense shooting was the result of a pre-planned robbery gone awry.
The shooter, Christian MacDonald, arranged to meet with drug dealer Robert Rafael Cruceta Pimentel at the Tropicana Resort Motel in Davenport on Tuesday just before midnight.
MacDonald planned to purchase marijuana from Cruceta Pimentel, according to detectives.
Unbeknown to MacDonald, Cruceta Pimentel had allegedly plotted with a third man, Harold Sepulveda-Cruz, to ambush MacDonald.
The crooks had planned to rob MacDonald with the fake gun and take the drugs and the money.
When Cruceta Pimentel got into the car with MacDonald, Sepulveda-Cruz jumped into the back of the car.
Sepulveda-Cruz pointed the fake gun at the back of MacDonald’s head and began beating him with it.
He demanded that MacDonald hand over the money and drugs.
Meanwhile, MacDonald pleaded with Sepulveda-Cruz to not shoot.
During the attempted robbery, MacDonald pulled out a very real 9mm handgun and shot behind him ten times.
The shots ended up striking Sepulveda-Cruz and killing him.
Police said Cruceta Pimentel grabbed the drugs and the money and tossed them over the fence of the hotel.
MacDonald then called the police to report the burglary and shooting.
When police arrived on the scene, they arrested Cruceta Pimentel for the fatal shooting.
Cruceta Pimentel was charged with second-degree murder and nine additional charges.
Judd noted the irony that a man lost his life over such a small amount of money.
“If our robber, Harold Cruz, as the information came to us, was high on drugs that night and needing to hit a lick for a quick fix, if his buddy had just loaned him $100, he’d still be alive today,” said the sheriff.
“So while Robert had $900 in his pocket, he sat there while Harold got shot over a $140 and an eighth of an ounce of marijuana,” he added.
MacDonald has not been charged with a crime.
The investigation is ongoing, however.
READ MORE: Baltimore Thug Makes Fatal Mistake, Breaks into Home of Armed Citizen
