Would-be armed robber returns cash, tells cashier his daughter needs operation

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — A desperate dad cracked under pressure and Philadelphia police said they are trying to find him after he walked into a store planning to rob it, and then changed his mind. He told the clerk he needed the money for his sick daughter before he gave it back and walked out, poilice said.

"Demanded money from the cashier and then had a change of heart, change of mind, said I'm not going to do it," Philadelphia police Capt. Sekou Kinebrew told KYW. "If you are going to commit a robbery, I guess the best one to commit is one where you don't complete it and change your mind."

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The brazen bandit backed out of what could've easily been a couple hundred dollar money grab. Store owner Kimo said, "That was unbelievable, what happened. Because he actually had the money in his hand and refused to take it, and said it wasn't enough to pay for his daughter's kidney transplant."

When asked what should happen to the man who started to rob him at gunpoint, Kimo said, "Hard to say. 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."

Kimo said the man put his gun away and became friendly before leaving the store.

Police said he still faces an armed robbery charge, but they're also interested in learning more about the daughter he brought up. They think they know who this would-be robber is and said when they find him, they might even be able to help out his family.

CNN/KYW