`Jesus' saves Broward storekeeper from a robbery

A remorseful robber left a Broward County cellphone store empty-handed after talking religion with the cool-headed manager.
BY JAMES H. BURNETT III
July 30, 2010

Nayara Goncalves already experienced one of the ``biggest moments'' of her life: becoming a Christian.

The second came last Friday, when the 20-year-old cellphone store manager put her good works to good use -- persuading a would-be armed robber to put away his gun and leave her store in the name of the Lord.

Every moment of the more than five-minute exchange between a calm Goncalves and the nervous, unidentified robber was captured on a store surveillance camera.

The robber walked into the MetroPCS store at 1543 S. Cypress Rd. in Pompano Beach around 10 a.m July 23, wearing a dark cap and jacket and holding an umbrella.

He exchanges pleasantries with Goncalves, asking whether she was keeping dry, then asks to see a phone.

Moments later, he reaches into his coat, apparently showing her a gun. He apologizes: ``I really hate to do this. . . . Don't be scared.''

``I'm not scared,'' replies Goncalves, a devout Christian who was working alone. She calmly walks back to her cash register, telling the man, ``You can do whatever you want, but I'm just going to talk to you about Jesus, my God, before you leave.'' the rest-video