Maryland Self-Defense: Pizza shop owner exchanges gunfire with robbers :: 06/06/2017

CROWNSVILLE, Md. — A pizza shop owner exchanged gunfire with three men who robbed his business Sunday night in Crownsville, Anne Arundel County police said.

Police said officers responded at 11:15 p.m. to Milano Pizza at 1021 Generals Highway for an armed robbery.

The owner, Mario Kazzalbach, told police that as he was closing for the night when a man entered the restaurant, displayed a handgun and demanded money. Police said two more men entered the store, one of whom displayed a handgun.

"Each one has the gun, the masks, everything. They say, 'No play, no play.' Each one have a gun. Each one have a gun. Three people, I got three guns on my head," Kazzalbach said.

Kazzalbach told police that he complied with the robbers' demands, giving them money, his necklace and a cellphone, and they fled.

As the robbers fled, Kazzalbach said one turned and fired a shot at him. He was able to grab a shotgun he keeps for protection and fired a shot back.

"Each one of them had big guns. I have to save my life," Kazzalbach said.

Police searched with K-9 units but were unable to find the three suspects.

"There was no evidence recovered from the scene of shell casings from the suspects, so we did check several local hospitals in and around the area. No hospitals reported any individuals coming in with any gunshot wounds, so at this time, it doesn't appear that any suspects were struck," Anne Arundel County police Lt. Ryan Frashure said.

Police said it appears Kazzalbach acted in self-defense, and his gun is registered and legal, but they continue to investigate.

"At this point, it's unclear who shot at who first, so that's something that our detectives are going to be looking into, but, at this point, it feels like the store owner was in fear for his life because the individuals were armed with a handgun," Frashure said.

Kazzalbach is looking to increase security around his shop. He knows he's lucky to come out of the situation unharmed.

"Thank God I'm still alive. I have kids. I work hard for my kids," he said.

Police said the first robber is described as a black man, 20 to 25 years old, standing 6 feet tall with a thin build, wearing dark clothing and a ski mask.

The second robber was described as a black man, 20 to 25 years old, standing 5 feet 10 inches tall, wearing dark clothes and a ski mask.

The third robber was described as a white man, 5 feet 8 inches tall, wearing a blue jacket and black pants, police said.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Metro Crime Stoppers at 866-7-LOCKUP.

Also on WBALTV.com:

WEBVTT FIRED AT HIM SO HE FIREDBACK.>> THIS IS WHEN I'M SCARED THISIS WHEN I'M REALLY SCARED, ISAID, OH, MY GOD, I'M DONE.KIM FRIGHTNING MOMENTS FOR MARIO: KAZZALBACH, THE OWNER OFMILANO PIZZA IN CROWNSVILLE.AS HE WAS CLOSING UP LAST NIGHT,HE SAYS THREE MEN CAME INTHROUGH THE BACK DOOR WITH GUNS.>> EACH ONE HAS THE GUN, THEMASKS, EVERYTHING. THEY SAY NOPLAY, NO PLAY, EACH ONE HAVE AGUN EACH ONE HAVE A GUN, THREEPEOPLE, I GOT THREE GUNS ON MYHEAD.KIM KAZZALBACH SAYS HE GAVE THEM: MONEY, HIS NECKLACE, AND CELLPHONE, AND THEY FLED, BUT ASTHEY DID HE SAYS ONE TURNED ANDFIRED A SHOT AT HIM.HE WAS ABLE TO GRAB THE SHOTGUNHE KEEPS FOR PROTECTION ANDFIRED A SHOT BACK.>> EACH ONE OF THEM HAD BIGGUNS, I HAVE TO SAVE MY LIFE.KIM HE CALLED POLICE WHO: SEARCHED WITH K-9 UNITS BUTWERE UNABLE TO FIND THE THREESUSPECTS.>> THERE WAS NO EVIDENCERECOVERED FROM THE SCENE OFSHELL CASINGS FROM THE SUSPECTS,SO WE DID CHECK SEVERAL LOCALHOSPITALS IN AND AROUND THEAREA. NO HOSPITALS REPORTED ANYINDIVIDUALS COMING IN WITH ANYGUNSHOT WOUNDS, SO AT THIS TIMEIT DOESN'T APPEAR THAT ANYSUSPECTS WERE STRUCK.KIM POLICE SAY IT APPEARS: KAZZALBACH ACTED IN SELFDEFENSE AND HIS GUN ISREGISTERED AND LEGAL.BUT THEY CONTINUE TOINVESTIGATE.>> AT THIS POINT IT IS UNCLEARWHO SHOT AT WHO FIRST, SO THAT'SSOMETHING THAT OUR DETECTIVESARE GOING TO BE LOOKING INTO,BUT AT THIS POINT, IT FEELS LIKETHE STORE OWNER WAS IN FEAR FORHIS LIFE BECAUSE THE INDIVIDUALSWERE ARMED WITH A HANDGUN.KIM KAZZALBACH IS NOW LOOKING TO: INCREASE SECURITY AROUND HISSHOP, HE KNOWS HE'S LUCKY TOCOME OUT OF THE SITUATIONUNHARMED.>> THANK GOD I'M STILL ALIVE.I HAVE KIDS, I WORK HARD FOR MYKIDS.

http://www.wbaltv.com/article/pizza-shop-owner-exchanges-gunfire-with-robbers/9976440