Denny’s shooting suspect recently left prison, deputies say, may have robbed another shop

A man was shot during an attempt to foil a robbery at the Denny’s on Interstate Avenue in North Highlands Wednesday morning, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department.

The suspect, identified as a male in his late 50s, entered the crowded restaurant at about 10:40 a.m., pointed a handgun at the cashier and demanded money, according to a news release from the sheriff’s department.

A citizen inside the restaurant tackled the suspect, the release said, and a struggle ensued over the handgun. During the struggle, a bullet was fired and hit another citizen, injuring his leg. His injuries are not life-threatening.

The suspect ran away on foot to a nearby parking lot, where he carjacked a person and attempted to flee.

A deputy spotted the vehicle and “took swift action to stop the suspect from causing harm to anyone else in our community,” the release said, resulting in a collision between the suspect’s vehicle and the deputy’s vehicle.

The suspect, identified as Jonathan Edward Franklin, 57, of Roseville, was taken into custody without injury, according to the release, and was found to be recently released from state prison and on parole for murder.

Neither the deputy nor his canine partner were injured in the collision, according to the sheriff’s department.

Deputies searched the suspect vehicle and found a handgun as well as property taken from a victim inside Denny’s, the release said.

Franklin was booked into Sacramento County Main Jail without bail on multiple felony charges stemming from this incident as well as an armed robbery that occurred earlier this week in the north Sacramento area, which detectives connected the suspect to, according to the release.

This story was originally published February 27, 2019 at 6:58 PM.