Bank robberies can often end up being high-pressure situations. A California man that was waiting in line to deposit a check at a bank calmed the situation after he noticed the robbery unfolding in front of him involved his former neighbor.
Michael Armus Sr. was standing in line at Bank of the West in Woodland, California, when Eduardo Plasencia entered the building and passed a note to the teller explaining that he was robbing the bank. The note also added that he had a gun with him.
Armus said he recognized the 43-year-old suspect as his former neighbor and friend of his daughter. According to the Woodland Police Department, that’s when Armus stepped in and encouraged Plasencia to not rob the bank.
Armus said he simply tried to comfort Plasencia and asked him what was wrong. “He said, ‘There’s nothing in this town for me. Nothing in this town for me. I just want to go to prison,'” the 69-year-old said.
To diffuse the situation, Armus suggested the two go outside where the two ended up in a hug. “I (gave) the man a hug right here at the doors,” Armus said. “He started crying.”
“His words of wisdom worked and Plasencia changed his mind and left the bank,” police wrote in a statement on Facebook. Police still arrested Plasencia outside the bank and he was charged with attempted robbery.