Shoplifting suspect Mervin Bettis charged with murder after security guard drops dead

A suspected shoplifter in Florida was slapped with murder charges after a security guard who busted up his attempted heist dropped dead of a heart attack shortly after, authorities said.

Mervin Bettis, 35, was trying to flee a Tampa area Target store with a cartful of more than $1,000 worth of merchandise on May 27 when he was nabbed by Russell Hoer, 65, and another guard, authorities said.

Hoer, an ex-FBI agent, and his partner struggled with the alleged perp for several minutes before finally cuffing him, local station WFTS reported.

According to a security video, Hoer appeared a little wobbly after the confrontation, huffing and puffing while barely able to stand, the station said.

A short time later, he collapsed outside the store and was pronounced dead of heart failure at a local hospital.

An autopsy showed that the stress from the struggle with Bettis stopped Hoer's heart, authorities said. The father of two had a heart condition, his wife of 41 years told the station. 

Bettis was originally charged with robbery and battery, but was hit with third-degree murder charges this week, the Hillsborough County sheriff's office said. He faces up to 30 years in prison.

Bettis has a long rap sheet. Family members said he was addicted to stealing, but was not a killer.

"He just has to steal something all the time," his mother, Patricia, told the St. Petersburg Times.