A Long Island bodega owner showed a startling video surveillance of a bat-wielding man trying to rob his store—which ended with the store owner ultimately taking pity on the thief and giving him $40 and bread! Store owner Mohammad "Mo" Sohail said of the May incident, "He was begging, crying 'I'm sorry. I have no money, no food, no job. My family's hungry.' He's really crying, 'please don't call police.'"
The robber had been yelling at Sohail, who was closing the Shirley Express, "Give me your money! Give me your money!" Instead, Sohail took out a licensed shotgun, which then prompted the robber to fall to his knees and pray. The store owner said, "Promise me that you'll never rob anybody again," and then gave the man $40 from the cash register and bread. Watch the video below.
Sohail says the man then told him, "You are a good man. I want to be a Muslim like you." The 47-year-old Pakistani immigrant spoke to the AP, "He started crying that he was out of work and was trying to feed his hungry family. I felt bad for him. I mean, this wasn't some kid," told the Daily News, "I feel really good because I helped someone. Everyone should help each other. ... I did this because he had problems. I don't call myself a hero."
Newsday notes that Sohail has "five open warrants" from the Department of Taxation and Finance, totaling $137,331.28. He said he was working on paying his debts, "Everybody has a hard time sometimes." Police are investigating the crime, but Sohail doesn't want the would-be robber to go to jail and simply hopes he learned a lesson.
