Two bail bondsmen were parked in the Sear's Outlet parking lot Tuesday afternoon off Military Trail and Forest Hill Boulevard when they heard a gunshot and looked up to see a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office deputy in need of help.
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Call it luck, or call it fate, Joshua Choomack said he’s just thankful he could help.
“We heard the gunshot, and I looked to the right and we just made movement towards him immediately,” said Choomack.
Choomack and his business partner were parked in the Sears parking lot working another case when a couple thousand feet away.
“All the sudden, boom, the gunshot goes off,” said Choomack.
Wasting no time, the two rushed over to a PBSO deputy dazed and leaning up on his car.
“He was banged up pretty good on his right side,” said Choomack.
Within seconds the two bail bondsmen were able to handcuff the suspect and wait for help to arrive.
Investigators said the deputy had approached the suspect, 36-year-old Ramon Enerio Betances, because he looked suspicious coming from behind store buildings.
Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said the suspect punched the deputy before trying to take his gun.
“It was in the street area,” said Sears' employee Robert Edlow.
Edlow was working at the time and had his car parked near the incident.
“Our manager came in and I was in the back doing training and he said, 'You have to move your car. Your car is in the crime scene,' and I go 'What?'” said Edlow.
It didn’t take long for investigators to secure the area.
“You know these are police officers, they are here to protect us and they should be treated with respect and especially me and my partner we are not going to stand by and watch,” said Choomack.
NewsChannel 5 is learning this isn’t the first time Betances has been arrested. Within the last decade, he has faced multiple charges in various states including robbery, DWI and drug possession.
He currently remains behind bars at the Palm Beach County Jail.
