The owner of a goldsmith shop in Corroios, Seixal, shot and wounded a thief, about 20 years old, who tried to rob the establishment with the help of three accomplices in the early evening of yesterday.

The wounded man has a bullet lodged in the head and was, on Friday night, in the Intensive Care of Garcia de Orta Hospital, Almada. The dealer’s brother was beaten and transported to the same hospital unit.

The thieves are part of a gang already referenced by assaults to goldsmiths on the south bank of the Tagus. The crime occurred at 18:55 hrs at the goldsmith’s shop, on Rua do Casa do Povo. Four hooded men approached the compound. Two stood at the door and the other two entered. One was armed with a pistol and the other had a cobblestone in his hand. The owners of the goldsmith shop, two brothers, were inside, one at the counter and the other at the office. There would be a third person inside the goldsmith shop.

The merchant who was in attendance, about 50 years old, was beaten and kicked. Upon seeing the brother being beaten, the other owner of the goldsmith’s shop would have taken the pistol and made at least two shots. One of the thieves was hit in the head and fell inanimate. The other three robbers fled, leaving much damage inside the goldsmith shop.

Maria do Céu, spokeswoman for the PSP Command of Setúbal, told CM that the alert was received at 19.00 hrs. “Several patrols were quick to come, saw the injured assailant on the ground and the dealer with signs of aggression,” he explained.

The Seixal Firefighters sent nine men and five vehicles to the scene. The most serious wound was stabilized and taken to critical condition for the hospital. The PJ of Setúbal was, last night, questioning the merchant who fired the shots, as well as other witnesses.