INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis store clerk who was involved in one of the most bizarre robberies in recent memory spoke about the ordeal on ABC’s “Good Morning America” Thursday.
Angela Montez described how her thoughts turned into actions as a man brandishing a gun, who police identified as Gregory Smith, 23, came into the Advance America Cash Advance store in the 900 block of East Washington Street on Monday.
“I can’t even explain the feeling of a gun,” Montez said. “I remember looking at the silver gun, and the finger was on the trigger, and that’s all I could picture, and I just thought, ‘This is it … I’ll never see my babies again.'”
Montez said she began crying, and that her words and demeanor seemed to sway Smith.
“People say I’m brave. I am not brave. I was very scared and crying,” Montez said. “He caught on to that really quick.”
Montez said she began to pray and told the man not to proceed with the robbery because he is young and has so much life ahead of him.
“He told me he had to do this, that times are really bad,” Montez said. “He was going to be homeless. He had no choice.”
Montez said she tried to accentuate the positive by telling the man that his situation couldn’t be that bad.
“Nothing could be so bad that you’re willing to take someone’s life or give up your life in prison,” she said. “The more we talked, he just broke down.”
Montez said the man saw that he had scared her so badly that he agreed to put the gun away.
“No one will talk to me. I have nobody,” Montez said the man told her. “I asked him, ‘Where is your mother?’ and he was like, ‘I don’t know at this time.’ I asked, ‘Your father?’ and he said, ‘I’ve never met my father.'”
Montez said the man began crying as he told her he has a little girl, but that he hadn’t had a job in months, despite efforts, and that he was worried he was going to be homeless.
The man then told Montez that he had worked in the heating and cooling business after serving in the military.
“I said, ‘You have a heart. If you were willing to serve your country, you don’t want to do nothing like this,'” Montez said.
The discussion went on for about 40 minutes, but Montez got nervous when the man reached into his pocket, where he had placed the gun.
“He pulled the gun out, and he said, ‘Look, I’m taking the bullet out, and I want you to take it,'” Montez said. “(He said) ‘Just take it and talk to me, please. No one’s ever talked to me like this.'”
Montez said she felt God’s presence during the conversation and was amazed that no one called on the phone or came to the door, an uncommon occurrence, during the entire ordeal.
“I believe that the Lord sent us both together. It touched me, and it brought back religion that I’ve kind of let loose,” Montez said.
Smith turned himself in after his mother saw news reports. He was charged with robbery because some money was taken, but Montez thinks his experience could be useful to others.
“This is pitiful these young men feel like they have nothing and nowhere to turn to,” she said. “If you have a company … give these people a chance.” “I can’t even explain the feeling of a gun,” Montez said. “I remember looking at the silver gun, and the finger was on the trigger, and that’s all I could picture, and I just thought, ‘This is it … I’ll never see my babies again.'”
Montez said she began crying, and that her words and demeanor seemed to sway Smith.
“People say I’m brave. I am not brave. I was very scared and crying,” Montez said. “He caught on to that really quick.”
Montez said she began to pray and told the man not to proceed with the robbery because he is young and has so much life ahead of him.
“He told me he had to do this, that times are really bad,” Montez said. “He was going to be homeless. He had no choice.”
Montez said she tried to accentuate the positive by telling the man that his situation couldn’t be that bad.
“Nothing could be so bad that you’re willing to take someone’s life or give up your life in prison,” she said. “The more we talked, he just broke down.”
Montez said the man saw that he had scared her so badly that he agreed to put the gun away.
“No one will talk to me. I have nobody,” Montez said the man told her. “I asked him, ‘Where is your mother?’ and he was like, ‘I don’t know at this time.’ I asked, ‘Your father?’ and he said, ‘I’ve never met my father.'”
Montez said the man began crying as he told her he has a little girl, but that he hadn’t had a job in months, despite efforts, and that he was worried he was going to be homeless.
The man then told Montez that he had worked in the heating and cooling business after serving in the military.
“I said, ‘You have a heart. If you were willing to serve your country, you don’t want to do nothing like this,'” Montez said.
The discussion went on for about 40 minutes, but Montez got nervous when the man reached into his pocket, where he had placed the gun.
“He pulled the gun out, and he said, ‘Look, I’m taking the bullet out, and I want you to take it,'” Montez said. “(He said) ‘Just take it and talk to me, please. No one’s ever talked to me like this.'”
Montez said she felt God’s presence during the conversation and was amazed that no one called on the phone or came to the door, an uncommon occurrence, during the entire ordeal.
“I believe that the Lord sent us both together. It touched me, and it brought back religion that I’ve kind of let loose,” Montez said.
Smith turned himself in after his mother saw news reports. He was charged with robbery because some money was taken, but Montez thinks his experience could be useful to others.
“This is pitiful these young men feel like they have nothing and nowhere to turn to,” she said. “If you have a company … give these people a chance.”
Source The Indychannel.com
