Taunton store owner injured in botched holdup
A beloved Taunton store owner was seriously injured when she tried to wrestle a sawed-off shotgun away from one of two masked teenagers during a holdup, police said.
Zhi Chen had “major flesh tears” on her side and her “thumb appeared to be hanging from flesh” when cops arrived minutes after 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at Eagan’s Package Store on Cohannet Street, police said.
“She was heavily panting and stating, ‘ I’m hit, I can’t breathe, I’m gonna die, please hurry,’ ” officer Brendan Canary wrote.
Chen, who owns the store with her husband, was listed in stable condition yesterday in Rhode Island Hospital.
Early yesterday, police arrested two Taunton teens — Billy I. Morris, 18, and a 17-year-old whose name was not released because of his age — in connection with the holdup.
Police said the suspects entered the store, wearing masks and hoods, and the younger teen demanded money and poked Chen with the shotgun to open the cash register. The 40-year-old mother of three grabbed the gun’s barrel, police said, and the 17-year-old shot her once in the left side. Detectives, following up on a witness description, identified two suspects and with a search warrant later found a shotgun in the 17-yearold’s home.
The 17-year-old pleaded not guilty yesterday to assault with intent to murder, robbery while armed and masked, and four counts of assault and battery on a police officer. Morris pleaded not guilty to assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, robbery while armed and masked, and conspiracy to commit robbery.
Both were held without bail, pending a May 4 dangerousness hearing.
Yesterday, dozens of customers left flowers, balloons, a teddy bear and get-well wishes outside the closed store for the woman they know simply as “Alice” or “Sister.”
“She’s a feisty little woman,” said Ken Silva, 48, of Taunton. “She