Philadelphia Robber Reportedly Claims To Have A Sick Child In Note Demanding Cash
A man who robbed a Philadelphia pharmacy reportedly gave the cashier a note apologizing for robbing them and justifying the theft by saying that he has a sick child, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Authorities say that a man walked into a Rite Aid store on Friday and approached the counter, pretending to make a purchase. However, instead of buying something, the man allegedly gave the cashier a note demanding money.
“Give me all the money. I’m sorry, I have a sick child. You have 15 seconds,” the note reportedly read.
The cashier reportedly put an undisclosed amount of money from the register in a plastic bag. The robber began to walk away, only to turn around and demand even more money, which the clerk gave him. The man then left the building with an undisclosed amount of cash.
The robber appeared to tell the cashier “thank you” before walking out. He did not appear to have shown a weapon during the robbery.
The suspect was described as African American, thin, around 5-feet-10 inches and between 30 and 40 years old. He had a mustache, a gray hoodie, a baseball cap, black gloves and glasses.
The incident was captured on video. Philadelphia Police released the clip to the general public to solicit tips.
It was the second time in a few months that someone robbed or attempted to rob a Philadelphia-area pharmacy under the guise of getting money for the treatment of a sick child.
Back in July, a man reportedly attempted to rob a smoke shop in Bustleton, giving the cashier a note saying that he needed the money for a transplant for his daughter. In that incident, the robber displayed what appeared to be a gun. After getting an unspecified amount of money, the robber appeared to have a change of heart and gave the money back.
“You know what, I’m not gonna do it to you, it’s not gonna help my daughter’s transplant,” he said, before running off.
Philadelphia police are searching for a man accused of attempting to rob a store because he said he needed money for his daughter’s kidney transplant operation. @JoeHoldenCBS3 reports https://t.co/U7uP1x2NoN
— CBS Philadelphia (@CBSPhiladelphia) July 9, 2019
Police are treating these two crimes, though similar, as having been committed by different suspects. Police also say that they do not know if either man was telling the truth about having a sick child.
In 2011, as ABC News reported at the time, a man robbed a North Carolina bank of exactly one dollar. He did so in order to go back to prison. The man believed that he would get better healthcare — which he couldn’t afford as a free man — behind bars.
