Tough Cookie: Bakery clerk takes robber's gun

PITTSBURGH -- Police say a man who tried to rob a Pittsburgh-area bakery was thwarted by a female store clerk who refused to back down.

Authorities say the robber had a loaded revolver, the hammer cocked back and ready to shoot when he came into Minerva's Bakery in McKeesport., Pennsylvania, according to CBS Pittsburgh.

At the end of January, police say 21-year-old Tyler Lankford came into the bakery, pointed the gun at a 58-year-old clerk, and told her to empty the register.

The clerk said the suspect put the gun down to grab the cash, and just as a customer was walking in, she took a gamble and grabbed the gun.

Police say Lankford took off, leaving the revolver behind, CBS Pittsburgh reported. Police say the gun could have easily gone off, with the hammer already pulled back.

Lankford was located and arrested Tuesday in Pitcairn, Pa.

Police say they've tied him to several other robberies as well. Relying on surveillance video, they believe the same revolver was used in each robbery.