Featured Image Credit: ABC/ Woodland Police Department
Topics: US News, Crime, True crime, Mental Health
Poppy Bilderbeck
Topics: US News, Crime, True crime, Mental Health
A man has been branded a hero for the way he dealt with an attempted bank robber.
Earlier this week, on Monday morning (22 May), Michael Armus Sr. went to a branch of the Bank of the West in California to deposit a cheque.
However, when next in line to the til, the 69-year-old soon realised something was very wrong and an attempted robbery was taking place.
Armus has since opened up about how he reacted to the attempted robber, proving a small act of kindness can go a long way.
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Armus first knew something wasn't right when he noticed 'a guy two windows down [from him] had his face covered with his shirt'.
Police reported the would-be bank robber passed a note to one of the bank's til workers, stating he was armed.
Armus explained that the bank worker kept looking in-between him and the robber and so he felt compelled to step in and try to help.
"You know when you're in a bad situation, you feel it. [...] I had to say something, I had to do something," he tells ABC7 Chicago.
However, what Armus did likely came as a surprise to both the attempted robber and others in the bank too.
After realising he recognised the suspect as 42-year-old Eduardo Placensia - a man who used to live next door to him around 20-25 years ago and someone who was friends with his daughter - Armus began to speak with Placensia.
"He said he had no job and, 'There's nothing in this town for me'," Armus recalls.
Armus then lead Placensia outside where he hugged him. "He started crying, and then I stepped away from him and swoop, here come all the cops. No sirens just lights everywhere," Armus told KCRA.
The 42-year-old was then arrested and taken away by Woodland police, and booked at the Yolo County jail in California.
Placensia was taken into custody for attempted robbery, however, it was later discovered - despite his note to one of the bank's til workers - the 42-year-old wasn't actually armed.
Armus - who has since been praised as a hero by police and the bank's workers - said: "I felt compassion for the man, you know? What could've happened to this guy to have made him want to go in there and just throw his life away?"
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.
You can also call 1-800-985-5990 or text “TalkWithUs” to 66746 at the SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline.