Caught on tape: Robber gets down on his knees – and prays

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Indianapolis police have ended their search for the man dubbed the “praying robber”.

The suspect, 23-year-old Gregory Smith, turned himself in Tuesday morning after his mother saw him on TV.

Smith earned the nickname after security cameras showed him praying with his victim at a cash advance store Monday. Police say when Smith pulled out a gun, the clerk started crying and talking to him about God.

That’s when the Smith broke down, asked her to pray with him and even took the bullet out of the gun.

“I’ve been an investigator for three years now and I’ve never seen anything like this on a case we investigated, especially one where the robber reaches out to hug the victim and then the victim later on hugs the suspect,” said Kevin Wethington, a law enforcement official. “Very unusual.”

Police say Smith took $20 from the cash drawer and the woman’s cell phone. Smith faces a preliminary charge of robbery.