At a 7-Eleven in California, two staff members took matters into their own hands when a man attempted to steal a trash can filled with cigarettes right before their eyes.

Deda, a witness who had just visited the 7-Eleven at the intersection of Center and Market streets in Stockton, CA, witnessed the incident on Saturday, July 29. Prompted by what he saw, Deda pulled out his phone and started recording.

As Deda was paying for his gas and a Red Bull at the register, a masked man boldly walked behind the counter and started dumping cigarette packets into the large trash can.

Unfazed, Deda decided to record the scene, saying he wasn't afraid and wanted to capture what was happening.

"It was more like, look, I gotta make it home. If I'm here, he's here, they're here…" he said.

The customer urged the store staff not to let the situation turn violent since the would-be robber wasn't carrying a weapon.

As the man tried to leave from behind the counter, a scuffle broke out when he attempted to pass one of the workers. The second 7-Eleven employee grabbed a stick and repeatedly struck the suspect.

According to the employees, the man had tried the same thing three times before.

"25-26 hits…" Deda said. "I was quiet at a point because I couldn't believe it was happening, then next thing I know, yo, this is getting too much, this is excessive."

Deda inquired if the employees had called the police, which they hadn't, and he advised them against it. As the attempted robber became emotional, Deda repeated, "Don't do that. Don't do that. Don't do that."

After the suspect got up from the ground, Deda walked him outside. However, before he left entirely, the man asked Deda if he could get a soda.

Not surprisingly, Deda turned down the man's request.

The witness's videos of the incident have garnered thousands of likes and views since he posted them online.

The entire incident occurred right across the street from the Stockton Police Department Headquarters. Upon learning about the events, the department launched an investigation into the matter.

The investigation is ongoing, and it remains uncertain whether anyone will be charged.

According to a Justice Department report on 7-Eleven "employees are trained to handle robberies as calmly and quickly as they would any other transaction."