Brownsville Robbery Victim 'Relieved' Cops Arrest Suspect

BROWNSVILLE, BROOKLYN — The woman who bravely fought back against a robber in her medical supply store in Brownsville last week said she and her coworkers are now afraid to welcome guests into her store, but she was relieved that cops arrested a suspect.

Oksana Aulova, a petite 28-year-old who works at the Belmont Medical Supply store where the robbery occurred, punched and kicked the robber, and yelled to defend herself, she said. The robber pistol whipped her on two separate occasions, causing her to have to get four staples at the top of her head. She was relieved on Tuesday to hear that cops allegedly nabbed the guy.

Cops arrested 55-year-old Shamrock Gamble of Brownsville on Tuesday afternoon, they said. Aulova said police caught Gamble walking around at Mother Gaston Boulevard and Belmont Avenue, just four blocks away from Belmont Medical. They called Aulova into a lineup on Tuesday afternoon, and she chose Gamble, she said.

Gamble, who police said is homeless, was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of stolen property, among other charges.

"What kind of moron would rob a medical supply store?" Aulova said. "We don't have cash, we don't even have medicine!" Aulova said. "And now he's going to be put away for a very, very long time."

Aulova said that it's going to take her and her coworker a bit of time before they can welcome customers into their store without anxiety. She said she caught a glimpse of Gamble's potential accomplice outside the store on her store's surveillance video footage.

"It's really unfortunate that our business is suffering now because of this. You know, we help the community. We fit custom prosthetics and help diabetics and other sick people," she said.

Gamble, who she believes robbed the store, waited outside the store while she was fitting an elderly woman for diabetic shoes, she later saw on surveillance video. As soon as the elderly woman walked out of the store, Gamble entered and staged the robbery, Aulova said.

Aulova's head is in pain, and she has several bruises from where the robber kicked her "extremely hard," but she is moving on with life as usual, she said. She also told Patch that Brownsville community members have been extremely supportive of her and the store.

"Some people are telling me what I did was really silly, but it was just a fight-or-flight moment. I guess the robber didn't think he was going to be met with a tiny, feisty girl who would actually fight back." Photos via Oksana Aulova