Customers Fight Off Armed Robber Who Stabbed Restaurant Owner

When you go out to eat, you don't typically expect anything dangerous to happen at the restaurant, and you especially wouldn't expect to get into a fight with an armed robber. However, this is exactly what happened at a Nashville Mexican restaurant Tuesday night (February 2).

According to Metro Nashville Police, Keenan Ty Cook, 34, walked into La Hacienda on Bell Road near Stewarts Ferry Pike and ordered a taco at the cash register. The owner went to the back to ring up his order while his wife stayed at the register. That is when Cook reportedly moved around the counter and began taking money from the open till.

The owner's wife believed Cook had a firearm, which later turned out to be a knife, and began fighting him off. Customers began to take action, with one patron throwing a chair at Cook, police said. The owner came running out of the kitchen and attacked the robber, keeping him from fleeing the scene. More patrons began to gather around the owner and Cook, assisting the owner in holding the suspect until police arrived.

The owner was stabbed multiple times in the arm and torso and his wife received cuts on her hand where they had fought with the robber. The owner of La Hacienda was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to receive treatment for serious injuries, while his wife was transported to TriStar Summit Medical Center.

Cook has been charged with especially aggravated robbery and booked into Metro Jail on a $150,000 bond.

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