Brockton Clerk Fights Knife-Wielding Robber With Wooden Club
BROCKTON (CBS) - A Brockton store clerk took policing into her own hands when she beat a would-be robber with a wooden club. In the face of danger, Maria Alves says her gut instincts took over.
"He point the knife," Alves recalls. "He says, 'give me all the money you have in the cash register.'"
On Wednesday, the owner of Celina's Market beat away the would-be thief wielding a knife. The entire ordeal was caught on her store's surveillance cameras.
"He said, 'I don't want no trouble, I don't want to get in trouble, I don't want to get in trouble.' He's already in trouble," Alves said.
Alves is no ordinary clerk. She is known as the neighborhood mother. She's friendly with customers and would rather bring a wooden club to a knife fight.
Despite the dangers of break-ins and hold-ups, she says the store is her dream with a special guardian angel, the store's namesake who also pitched in for her protection.
"I named this store after my daughter," Alves said. "My daughter, she was a tough lady."
Now that her angel helped her, Alves is hoping for some divine intervention for the hooded criminal who got away.
"I hope they give him the help he needs," Alves said. "I go to church every Sunday. I'm going to pray for him."
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Kim Tunnicliffe reports
