Christian shop manager changes armed robber’s mind with Jesus talk

LONDON - A Christian mobile phone shop manager in Florida, USA, has managed to stop a would-be armed robber by preaching to him about Jesus.

Nayara Goncalves, 20, spent nearly five minutes trying to persuade the man that he was doing the wrong thing during the incident on July 23 at the shop in Broward County.

“I’m just going to talk with you about Jesus,” the BBC quoted her as telling the would-be robber.

The man said he was a Christian and was “embarrassed” to be doing what he was doing but that he needed 300 dollars to avoid being evicted.

“I don’t know what you’re going through, but all of us are going through a hard time right now,” Goncalves told him.

When she explained that she would have to make up any shortfall, he decided to leave, but not before apologising and explaining that his gun was a replica.

“She was able to remain calm and keep him calm,” a sheriff’s office spokeswoman said.

Goncalves said that God had inspired her and that she hoped the man would turn to the church.

“He didn’t look that bad. He didn’t look like a criminal. It made me a bit more confident about what I wanted to tell him,” she said.

“It touched me. I could never be able to think I could to talk or preach to someone with a gun. I just felt like hugging him and saying please don’t do this,” she added.

Veda Coleman-Wright, of Broward County sheriff’s office, said she had never seen anything like it in her 14 years on the job.

And added that the man is being sought for attempted armed robbery. (ANI)