7-Eleven employees, customers hold robbery suspect until deputy arrives

HOLIDAY, Fla. (FOX 13) - Body camera video from the Pasco County Sheriff's Office shows the moments after an armed robbery was foiled by an employees and some customers inside the 7-Eleven in Holiday late Monday night.

Investigators say the attempted robbery suspect, Dylan Kiwala, told deputies he just lost his job and was desperate for money. In the body camera video, the suspect said he was trying to steal Juul e-cigarettes.

His attempt didn't last very long. The employees and customers inside the U.S. 19 location held Kiwala until a Pasco County deputy got there. Investigators said the suspect had a steel pipe he was using as a weapon.

"We shut the door on his [expletive]," one of the apparent customers can be heard telling the arriving deputy.

"We believe he was trying to intimidate the store employees into giving him cash from the register," Pasco County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Amanda Hunter said. "It appears that two employees, they actually locked the door. Simply locked the door and stood in front of the door."

Deputies say Kiwala hopped the counter and demanded money, but employees refused, so he tried to steal e-cigarettes

Detectives say Kiwala grabbed nine of them, worth more than $300, and planned to sell them on the street.

"It's extremely fortunate that no one was hurt in this incident. It could have gone a lot differently considering there was a weapon involved," Hunter pointed out.

Kiwala had not been released from jail as of Wednesday morning.