Man shot with own gun while trying to rob farm workers, police say

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno County Sheriff's deputies say a suspect was shot with his own gun on Thursday during a robbery.

It happened just after noon in a grape vineyard near Floral and Jameson- that's near Raisin City.

The victims are a group of farmworkers -- but they ended up turning the tables on the suspects.

The victims had just been given cash for pruning vineyards. Detectives are still trying to find out how the suspects knew it was payday. One suspect never left the crime scene.

One suspect was shot when deputies say he tripped while trying to leave the scene. He fumbled with the gun and the victims wasted no time taking advantage of the opportunity.

"One of the victims ran over, picked that gun up off the ground and began firing toward the suspect. One of the rounds hit him in the lower leg," said Tony Botti of the Fresno County Sheriff's Office

Two additional rounds hit the suspect in the buttocks. Detectives say the injured suspect is 22-year-old Dion Loftis. Loftis was held down by other farm workers until deputies arrived.

But the two other accomplices didn't stick around. They got away in a dark-colored black or navy blue Dodge Durango.

Deputies say at least one of them had a gun and all three suspects wore masks.

Investigators say farm workers are sometimes targets because many carry cash. But officials say this heist turned out different than most others.

Witnesses said the farm workers appeared calm after the shooting. After they talked with deputies- most went back to work pruning vines in the field.

The suspects who got away were last seen headed toward Hanford.