By GAYLA CAWLEY
LYNN — A Market Street convenience store clerk refused to be the victim of an armed robbery Wednesday night.
Azhar Ali, 42, who owns the convenience store at 38 Market St., said two customers known to him, identified by police as Joel Peralta, 41, of Beverly, and Tanya Hernandez, 45, of Saugus, tried to rob him. Peralta put a knife to him and demanded money, while Hernandez waited outside.
Police responded to 38 Market St. on a report of a fight around 7:15 p.m. and learned that Peralta had tried to rob the store at knifepoint and the clerk, Ali, wouldn’t give him any money. Ali held Peralta down outside while the police were called, Lynn Police Lt. Michael Kmiec said.
“I guess I saved myself,” Ali said.
Ali said he knows Hernandez as someone who goes to a Lynn program, adding that he thinks it’s for drug rehab. He said he was behind the register and saw the pair standing outside, talking and and smoking. He said he had a couple of customers inside, and that Peralta was outside watching and waiting for the patrons to leave.
Ali said the door was open, and Peralta came in, looking around everywhere in the store, and then came behind the counter, put a knife to his stomach, and told him to open the drawer.
At that point, Ali said he wanted to talk to the attempted robber for a few minutes, so he could come to the camera, and asked the suspect what he needed. He said Peralta told him to open the drawer and that he needed money. So Ali said he told Peralta to go to the back so he could open the drawer.
Once Peralta started to go a little back, Ali said he grabbed him with both of his hands, while the suspect was still holding the knife. Once Hernandez saw that happen, Ali said she closed the store’s door so people outside couldn’t see the struggle happening inside.
Ali said he started pushing Peralta, taking him outside, where the suspect started arguing. He said he pulled Peralta down to the ground. At some point, Ali said Peralta told Hernandez to grab the knife and stab the clerk in the back. Instead, he said Hernandez took the knife and threw it in a barrel.
During the struggle outside, Ali said a woman who worked at a nearby Dunkin’ Donuts called the police.
Kmiec said when police arrived, the clerk was on top of Peralta holding him to the ground. Peralta was subsequently arrested.
Ali said Hernandez pushed him when she saw the police coming, and was detained by people in the area as she was trying to get away. He said he had told police when they arrived that Peralta had a knife. When officers asked Ali where the knife was, he said he told them to ask Hernandez, who had disposed of it.
Kmiec said police found the knife.
Peralta was arrested and charged with attempt to commit a crime, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and Class E drug possession. Hernandez was arrested and charged with attempt to commit a crime, and on a warrant for larceny from a building.
Ali said there’s already a security system at the store, adding that there are eight cameras, and most of the incident was caught on video. But, he said, he is now going to apply for a license to carry a gun. He said he thinks Peralta needed some kind of drug.
Ali said he just took a chance, when asked why he fought back. He said his family asked him why he did.
“If he do it here, he’s going to do it somewhere else too,” Ali said. “I just don’t want to give him money. I work hard here. I stand up 10 hours and work hard here.”
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley.