Kids constantly surprise us with what they're capable of. Recently, a girl proved that she could be counted on in the face of a crisis. You wouldn't think a young girl would be a good person to have around during a serious situation like a robbery, but this little girl defied expectations when she helped her dad.
It's amazing to see that in the face of something so dangerous that the girl didn't panic — she was brave, and found a way to step up, even though no one thought she could.
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The man allegedly tried to rob the liquor store where the girl's father works.
On August 10, police in Maplewood, Minnesota were called to a local liquor store around 9:30 p.m. on reports of an armed robbery, according to local news station KARE. The clerk at the store told officers that the suspect carried a bottle of liquor up to the counter and placed it down, alongside a gun, telling the clerk to give him "everything." The clerk told the police he told the robber that he would give him the contents of the cash register after the gun was put away because his 8-year-old daughter was present.
The robber then told the clerk he wasn't moving fast enough and brought the gun around behind the counter, intending to get the cash himself. The employee, fearing for his daughter's safety, immediately punched the robber in the face several times. The two men struggled over the gun briefly before the would-be robber fled on foot.
The police acted quickly to get the gun and find the robber.
The officers on the scene were able to recover the gun from the store. They also found the suspect walking a few hundred feet away from the store, and he reportedly refused to stop when they ordered him to. He claimed to be in the area to go to another store, but the officers noticed he had a fresh cut under his left eye and blood on his lips.
He was identified as Conchobhar "Conor" Joseph Morrell, and the clerk confirmed his identity to police.
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Recovered video footage showed how the girl played a part in thwarting the robbery.
The Star Tribune reported that video surveillance retrieved from the store showed the girl step in with an aluminum baseball bat and beat Morrell several times in the head while he and her father scuffled over the gun.
"I’m proud of her," her father told the outlet. "She’s a good girl."
Her dad spoke out about her bravery.
In an interview with CBS News, the girl's father, Leo, talked about the incident.
Speaking about his interaction with Morrell, he said "I'm a dad, I'm not going to let that happen," explaining why he fought back. He went on to call his daughter "so strong," and said he was "proud."
"That day, I just wanted to cry. When I saw the video, I didn't expect she'd do that. I expect a little girl crying, screaming," he admitted.
He also shared that the day after the attempted robbery, he asked his daughter why she jumped in. She told him that she did it because she loves him and wanted to defend him.
When Morrell was charged, police revealed some other information.
In the footage, Morrell can be seen wearing an Amazon uniform during the robbery attempt. An Amazon spokesperson told CBS News that Morrell was a delivery associate for a third-party delivery service and would be "immediately offboarded."
Multiple outlets reported that Morrell was charged with first-degree attempted aggravated robbery. They also shared that documents show he also has a conviction for first-degree aggravated robbery from 2004.
