PHILADELPHIA – Police in Philadelphia this week said a man armed with a gun robbed a smoke shop, but changed his mind during the crime and left without any money. According to the owner of the store, the suspect returned the money and said it wouldn't have been enough to pay for his daughter's kidney transplant.
Surveillance video obtained by KYW-TV shows the robbery that occurred at 1 Stop Smoke Shop. The suspect is seen with his face obscured, pointing a gun while approaching a woman behind the counter.
Recommended Videos
The store owner said the suspect was given several hundred dollars before deciding not to go forward with the robbery.
"That was unbelievable, what happened," the store owner told reporters. "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.”
The worker told police that the would-be robber put his gun away and became friendly, eventually leaving the store.
Philadelphia police are trying to track down the suspect and learn more about his situation. Authorities said he still faces an armed robbery charge.
"If you are going to commit a robbery, I guess the best type of robbery to commit is one where you don’t complete it and change your mind,” said Philadelphia Police Capt. Sekou Kinebrew. "Don’t know what he’s referring to, 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."