CBS PhillyA man accused of attempted armed robbery returned the money because he said it wasn’t enough for his daughter’s kidney transplant.
The man walked into a Philadelphia store in a hooded coat and with his face covered, before pointing a handgun at members of staff and demanding money.
However, before leaving the store he had a change of heart and reportedly handed the money back to the cashier, saying it probably wouldn’t help his daughter’s kidney transplant operation anyway.
You can watch footage of the attempted robbery below:
As reported by CBS Philly, police are still searching for the man after he held members of staff at the 1 Stop Smoke Shop in Somerton up at gunpoint.
After approaching the woman behind the shop counter with his gun drawn and pointed towards her, the store owner confirmed the unknown man was handed at least a couple of hundred dollars.
Instead of leaving with the money though, the would-be robber then told staff he wasn’t going to go through with his plans because the money wasn’t enough to help pay for his daughter’s kidney transplant.
The man then became friendly, staff members said, and left the money behind without hurting anybody.
CBS PhillyThe owner of the 1 Stop Smoke Shop, identified only as Kimo, told news station KYW-TV he was stunned by what unfolded in his shop.
He said, as per the Toronto Sun:
That was unbelievable, what happened, because he actually had the money in his hand and refused to take it. He said it was not enough to pay for his daughter’s kidney transplant.
I think for willing to use the gun or taking it out of his pocket, he should be punished for that, but in the same time, as a society, we should do something to help people like that and not push him to the edge where they have to use a gun.
Despite the fact the attempted robber didn’t end up taking the money or hurting anybody, police say he is still in ‘violation of the law’.
CBS PhillyPhiladelphia Police Captain Sekou Kinebrew said, as per CBS Philly:
I don’t know what he’s referring to, I don’t know if he has a daughter who has some sort of medical need, but he still is in violation of the law for committing a robbery even though he didn’t walk away with anything.
Police are currently in the process of tracking the man down, with police sources saying they believe they might be close to figuring out his true identity.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).