Police: Suspect illegally in the country accused of shooting Upper Darby store owner

Upper Darby, Pa. (WTXF) - Upper Darby police say they have made an arrest in connection with the shooting of a store owner.

The son of an Upper Darby shop owner had some promising words about his father after police say he narrowly escaped a near deadly confrontation with a suspect as the shop owner's own gun was turned on him and he was shot at point blank range.

"So my dad is currently right now he's doing well--he's recovering," the son, who asked not to be identified, told FOX 29."Every day you hope family comes home to you safely and unfortunately on Saturday that was not the case but he's recovering."

"I don't know how he didn't kill him. He shot him point blank," said Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said.

On Saturday afternoon, police say 24-year-old Pablo Quintanilla entered Aaron's Beer Distributorship on Garrett Road and allegedly stole three beers. Police say he returned at 9 p.m. that's when the 57-year-old store owner confronted him and punched him. The suspect knocked the owner down and his legally owned handgun fell to the ground, according to police.

"The gun is grabbed by the bad guy--bad guy shoots him--fires at least four shots at him," Superintendent Chitwood said.

Police say the armed suspect, who's in the country illegally, escaped. Police put out his picture from surveillance video in the store. He was arrested Monday morning and charged with attempted murder.

"Some bad guy--some thug who's in here illegally--winds up shooting and almost killing ya," the superintendent added.

Store customers had nothing but good things to say about the owner. Most heard about the shooting. They all worried about the man who has run the store for over 15 years.

"Obviously, he's a hardworking guy. It's sad," Superintendent Chitwood said.

Superintendent Chitwood says Pablo Quintanilla is an illegal immigrant from Honduras who was deported by federal border patrol agents back in March 2015. Federal immigration officials have been notified about the arrest. Quintanilla is being held in the Delaware County prison.

The store owner is in stable condition at Lankenau hospital with a bullet lodged in his neck.