Employees of Springs Transmission and Automotive in Colorado Springs, CO, told police that a customer who was unable to pay for the repairs that were completed on his Saturn Vue fired three shots into the ground and the air. The altercation took place as an employee attempted to drive the vehicle behind the shop for safekeeping.

Below is the article as it appeared on The Gazette’s website.

Shots fired, man arrested in incident at auto repair shop

June 12, 2010 4:08 PM
By Jakob Rodgers
THE GAZETTE

Multiple shots were fired Saturday afternoon when an apparent dispute over automotive repair payments escalated, leaving a half dozen people running from a Colorado Springs auto shop.

Colorado Springs police arrested Eric Mason, 25, in connection with the shooting, which began about 3:20 p.m. Saturday at Springs Transmission and Automotive, 3310 North Chelton Loop. No one inside the store was hurt, according to Sgt. Randy Thomas, of the Colorado Springs Police Department.

Eugene Sintas, an employee of the shop, said the incident began after a man complained of being unable to pay for repairs to his blue Saturn Vue.

As Sintas tried to drive the vehicle behind the shop for safekeeping, he said the customer threatened him with a gun — leaving Sintas to throw the SUV’s keys out of the vehicle and run into the shop’s office, where he dialed 9-1-1.

Another employee quickly grabbed the keys and ran back into the stop’s lobby, followed by the customer. Shortly thereafter, Sintas said the customer fired a total of three shots into the ground and the air.

To read the entire article, visit The Gazette’s website at http://www.gazette.com/articles/police-100174-robbery-attempted.html.