Caterpillar chairman and CEO Glen Barton was shot dead today in a hail of bullets as he tried to rob a liquor store.Authorities also apprehended John Wahlbeck, Dennis Behrends and Jeff Ralston as Barton's accomplices. Barton's wife Polly was also arrested as the suspected wheelman.
The owner of Mobile Liquors, Abdul Muhammed says that around 11:30 pm saturday night he noticed a suspicious 1964 Chevy Impala blaring polka music slowly cruising past the front of his establishment.
"I could tell they were troublemakers", says Muhammed. "Then the car stopped and this old guy wearing a gray pinstripe suit got out."
From the open door Mr Muhammed says he could see a very enebriated John Wahlbeck passed out on the floor of the car tightly clutching an almost empty bottle of Seagrams 7. Ralston and Behrends reportedly were seen flinging 2003 Caterpillar calendars out of the car critically injuring at least 2 passersbys and seriously injuring the eyes of one woman.
"Barton walked in with a bandanna mask over his face" Muhammed says. "I mean the idiot had the bandanna covering his entire face without eyeholes!
He muttered something about a Cat wage freeze and then he demanded money,smokes,rolling papers,4 bottles of Everclear,a bottle of Seagrams 7 and two 40 ounce bottles of Colt 45." Mr Muhammed then says Mr Barton stumbled foreward revealing a pearl handled .38.
"I was scared at first but then he tripped, i guess he could'nt see because he tripped and fell face foreward into a Coors beer display. He seemed to knock himself out cold but i got my Uzi from behind the counter and fired 15-20 shots into his back to make sure."
Authorities have decided not to press charges against Mr. Muhammed.
Wahlbeck, Behrends, Ralston and Mrs. Barton are being held as accomplices and could face attemped robbery charges.
-Associated Press