Fresno woman fights off armed robber at Beacon gas station

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The victim of an attempted robbery fights off a criminal and lives to tell her story. Now police are searching for the man accused of pointing a gun in her face.

It's late Saturday night and Yuridian Mariscal has just pulled up to a Beacon gas station. Four men were lingering near the pumps, where police said they were scouting for their next victim.

"They follow her into the store, that's why we think it's a pre-planned robbery, they wait till she comes out and they confront her outside," said Sgt. Mark Hudson of the Fresno Police Department.

The surveillance video inside the store is where police said you can see the main suspect with a gun who's standing right next to another suspect who was hiding his face. They say it's not until the victim gets back in her car, that the man puts a gun to her chest.

The victim said she reached for his gun without hesitation. "We start fighting for the gun then I started screaming help me somebody help," said Yuridian Mariscal.

In the video, it shows the suspect and the victim fighting over her purse and the gun. The suspect falls to the ground and runs off. She was willing to risk her life, for the paycheck she earns by working in the fields.

"It's not fair. They can't just take your stuff because you work so hard to get it," said Mariscal.

But unfortunately, the other suspects did get away with something much more important than cold hard cash. They stole Mariscal's makeup bag, with her 11-year-old son's iPad. She said it's an award he got from his teachers for being a good student.

"He said mom, my tablet. That's okay I am still working and I will buy one. And he said ok mom," said Mariscal.

Now police need your help tracking down these men. So they can put them in jail. And bring Mariscal some peace, to know she can get gas, without having to fight for her life.

Police do warn people to let criminals take your money because your life is more important. If you recognize the suspects in the video you're urged to call police.