Ypsilanti robbery thwarted by good Samaritan
Man prevents armed robbery at Vara Juice shop
It happened at a 'Vara Juice' store and the entire encounter was caught on security cameras. Ali Hadma owns the hookah store right next door to Vara Juice. He says the women working that day called and said come over. That's all it took. Once Ali realized it was a robbery and the guy claimed to have a gun, he says the rest was a blur.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (FOX 2) - A robbery was thwarted by a good Samaritan who says he acted on instinct at a store in Ypsilanti.
What they're saying:
It happened at a 'Vara Juice' store and the entire encounter was caught on security cameras. Ali Hadma owns the hookah store right next door to Vara Juice.
He says the women working that day called and said come over.
That's all it took. Once Ali realized it was a robbery and the guy claimed to have a gun, he says the rest was a blur.
A man in a gray hoodie and a mask goes into Vara Juice, lays a gun on the counter, and demands money. The women working behind the counter said before that man walked through the door, they called the owner of Mission Hookah Shop next door.
"The girls from Vara Juice called me and said come," said owner Ali Hadma. "I usually go over to help them whenever they need help, so this time I walked into something that I did not know was going on."
As cash is being pulled from the drawer, Hadma walked in. He says he was simply acting on instinct and wrestled the gun out of the robber's hand.
With the threat eliminated, and the cash left behind, the robber goes free. The gun, as it turns out, was fake. But at the moment, Ali says it felt very real.
What's next:
The video was shared on social media, and being a businessman, Ali cashed in on his catchphrase, "Put it back."
While the video shows the robber walk out the door, we have confirmed through the courts the suspect has been caught and charged with armed robbery.