Hartford bakery staff shoots robbery suspect Copyright by WTNH - All rights reserved Video

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) -- A would-be robber was shot Tuesday morning after trying to take the tip jar from Barranquitas Mini Bakery at 262 Franklin Avenue in Hartford.

Frankie Barretto, who says he's like a father to the owners, a husband and wife team, says when 36-year-old Marcus Torres tried to grab the tub with nearly $100 inside, bolted to the counter after a previous theft, the wife screamed for her husband.

"There was a struggle, I believe, in the bakery. They all run out of the bakery and down the street, and there's another altercation. At one point the suspect is shot in the leg," said Hartford Deputy Police Chief Brian Foley.

Police say the person who shot Torres is a licensed gun owner.

"I never knew he carried a weapon, but a business like this you should be carrying a bat or pipe or something, but I never knew he had a weapon," said the owner's cousin, Jimmy Gonzalez.

Torres is well-known to officers.

"The person who was shot has been arrested in Hartford 27 times and he's a convicted felon," said Foley.

Authorities don't think Torres had a weapon, but say he made a motion as if he was removing one from his waistband. He's charged with criminal attempt at first-degree robbery and third-degree assault.

No charges have been filed against the person who shot. Connecticut's "Stand Your Ground" law only applies to crimes where the suspect is killed. Torres has already been released from the hospital.

"I can't think of a case where the owner has been arrested for shooting someone, and I've responded to some before, fatal," said Foley. "It depends on the situation and is very case specific."

No one inside the bakery was injured in the incident.

"Everybody's okay. She's a little shaken up obviously, but everybody's okay," said Gonzalez.

The Major Crimes Division is still investigating.

Torres is being held on $100,000 bond and is due in court on Wednesday.