Carwash worker sprays away robber but ends up in jail

A car wash attendant chased off a would-be robber with a power washer — and for his trouble got thrown in jail on an old warrant. A gunman wearing a skeleton mask strolled into Washman Carwash in Portland on Dec. 13 and confronted employee Chris B. Truax. "Give me your money!" Truax remembers the man saying, producing what looked like a handgun. The weapon broke, Truax said, and the gunman stuck it back in his waistband.

Aha, Truax remembers thinking, a fake — emboldening him to lead the robber to the till in the car wash's tunnel.

The gunman ordered Truax, 25, to fill a bag with cash. Truax stepped away. The robber grabbed for the cash. Truax grabbed for the power washer. "It was like a quick draw," said.



Pulling the power washer from a pail and aiming it like a rifle, he directed a stream of soapy, lukewarm water at the robber with a force of 2,000 pounds per square inch. The man fled without the money.

Truax's employers gave him two days off with pay, but the police jailed him on a 7-year-old warrant accusing him of driving under the influence of intoxicants. He was released the following night. "It's about time I took care of it," he said, shrugging.

The robber remains at large.

Full story here, with CCTV video.