A customer inside a California bank convinced a would-be robber to walk away on Monday, police said.”I believe it was meant for me to be here that day,” Michael Armus, Sr. said.He said he got to the bank at about 11 a.m. on Monday to make a deposit.However, he quickly realized something was wrong when he saw the bank tellers.”I’m always joking around, and it wasn’t no jokes yesterday,” Armus said.Instead of smiles on their faces, he said he saw looks of concern and noticed a man in the bank covering his face with his shirt. Police in Woodland said it was 43-year-old Eduardo Plasencia, who is accused of passing a note to the teller, which claimed that he had a gun and was robbing the bank.Armus said the man looked like he was getting irritated and said, “I don’t want to hurt anyone.””The thing was, I seen something else. He seemed to be depressed, the way he was talking,” Armus said. “So, I just approached him, and I asked him, I said, ‘What’s wrong?’ I said, ‘You don’t have a job?’ He said, ‘There’s nothing in this town for me. Nothing in this town for me. I just want to go to prison.'” Armus tried to comfort him and asked if they could step outside. “So, I took him outside, and I give the man a hug right here at the doors,” Armus said, pointing to the location. “He started crying, and then I stepped away from him and swoop, here come all the cops. No sirens, just lights everywhere.”Woodland police said officers booked Plasencia at the Yolo County jail for attempted robbery. He was not armed like he had claimed, according to police.Armus said that while he does not know the man, he did recognize his face.”Like 25, 20 years ago, he lived in an apartment complex I did. I didn’t know him, but I have seen him around. He was a friend of my daughter’s. That broke the ice for me,” he said.Now, Armus said he is considering visiting Plasencia in jail.”Love overcomes all things. People don’t realize that. Try to be kind to somebody,” Armus said. “It makes a difference.”
A customer inside a California bank convinced a would-be robber to walk away on Monday, police said.
“I believe it was meant for me to be here that day,” Michael Armus, Sr. said.
He said he got to the bank at about 11 a.m. on Monday to make a deposit.
However, he quickly realized something was wrong when he saw the bank tellers.
“I’m always joking around, and it wasn’t no jokes yesterday,” Armus said.
Instead of smiles on their faces, he said he saw looks of concern and noticed a man in the bank covering his face with his shirt.
Police in Woodland said it was 43-year-old Eduardo Plasencia, who is accused of passing a note to the teller, which claimed that he had a gun and was robbing the bank.
Armus said the man looked like he was getting irritated and said, “I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
“The thing was, I seen something else. He seemed to be depressed, the way he was talking,” Armus said. “So, I just approached him, and I asked him, I said, ‘What’s wrong?’ I said, ‘You don’t have a job?’ He said, ‘There’s nothing in this town for me. Nothing in this town for me. I just want to go to prison.'”
Armus tried to comfort him and asked if they could step outside.
“So, I took him outside, and I give the man a hug right here at the doors,” Armus said, pointing to the location. “He started crying, and then I stepped away from him and swoop, here come all the cops. No sirens, just lights everywhere.”
Woodland police said officers booked Plasencia at the Yolo County jail for attempted robbery. He was not armed like he had claimed, according to police.
Armus said that while he does not know the man, he did recognize his face.
“Like 25, 20 years ago, he lived in an apartment complex I did. I didn’t know him, but I have seen him around. He was a friend of my daughter’s. That broke the ice for me,” he said.
Now, Armus said he is considering visiting Plasencia in jail.
“Love overcomes all things. People don’t realize that. Try to be kind to somebody,” Armus said. “It makes a difference.”
