Police: Robber just moved on to another store
... et bienvenue à nos amis francophones
The would-be robber who walked out of a cell phone shop empty-handed and apologizing after a clerk preached to him has been arrested -- after knocking over a shoe store just three hours later, reports the Sun-Sentinel, The Baltimore Sun's South Florida sister.
Authorities in Florida say investigators charged 37-year-old Israel Camacho in the crime, Sun-Sentinel reporter Sofia Santana writes.
Camacho was already in jail, charged in the hold-up of a Payless shoe store in Oakland Park after failing at a Metro PCS shop in Pompano earlier on July 23.
Nayara Goncalves, 20, who was working in the cell phone store alone that morning, had encouraged the would-be robber to "Go to Jesus." A surveillance videotape of the incident has become an internet sensation.
The devout Christian told him: "God has something better for you." Camacho told Goncalves that he, too, was a Christian, and they learned that they had attended the same church.
Goncalves was disappointed to learn Friday that the suspect in her case was linked to a robbery that happened later the same day.
"It's so sad," she said. "I thought God was giving him a second chance."
The would-be robber had told Goncalves that he needed $300 or he would be evicted, and that he had never done anything like that before.
Investigators, however, describe their suspect as a serial robber.
They said that soon after the Metro PCS attempted robbery was reported, Camacho went to the Payless.
He put a handgun in a shoe box and ordered a clerk to hand over cash from the register, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office, which investigated both cases.
Both incidents were recorded by surveillance cameras.
One detail, though, may also link both crimes: The offender in both cases told his victims "God bless you," as he made his exit.
Camacho was being held Friday night in the Broward Main Jail without bond on one count of armed robbery, one count of attempted armed robbery and a bench warrant from a child support case.
Comments
Perhaps the Payless loss prevention team should bring the staff up to par with the Salvation Technique. It seems to work pretty well with Christian thieves.
Posted by: Dana | August 1, 2010 11:46 AM
Way to go baltimore sun you print one story and only give half of it then you turn around and give the other half later when the first story did not work out the well , It's called follow up reporting before you put it out there.
Posted by: kwolf443 | August 1, 2010 5:59 PM