Thief begs for mercy in convenience store (video)

Jun 3, 2009

Shirley, NY – Surveillance cameras captured a bat-wielding, masked man entering a convenience store in Shirley, New York, after midnight.

But the store’s owner Mohammed Sohail never surrendered his cash.

Instead, he went behind the counter and grabbed his gun, reducing the robber to tears.

“He started crying. He’s a big man, and he’s crying saying ‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I have no food, no money. I have no job. My whole family is hungry for weeks.’”

While most may have then called police, Sohail, known to his friends as Moe, reacted with compassion rather than anger.

Sohail took $40 from his register and gave it to the man, along with some bread, and made him promise never to rob again.

“I just feel like it breaks my heart,” said Sohail. “I feel bad for him. He was still crying, begging with me. I say, okay. I try to help everybody.”

But the story doesn’t end with Sohail’s act of charity and compassion. Minutes after giving the robber money and bread, he converted him to Islam.

“He looked at me and said ‘You are a very nice guy, a gentle man. I want to be a Muslim just like you.’” said Sohail.

Sergeant John Best of the Suffolk County Police Department said, “The generosity displayed by the clerk was unusual, but it still doesn’t change the fact that a violent crime was attempted to be committed here.”

While police are looking for the bat-wielding robber, the Pakistani-American father has no intention of pressing charges.

“The real message is our economy is bad,” Sohail said. “Now I made a mission myself, I’m going to try and help. And I hope I did good with this person.”