Good Samaritan who stopped robber wanted to protect family, workers

Marvin Sands and his wife stopped in the Family Dollar for floor mats Saturday evening and were looking around.

“I was chasing my daughter through the store because she is only two,” said Sands.

At about the same time, surveillance video shows a man walking outside the store. Police said he peeked through the window with a baseball bat in hand, before walking in.

The man, Warren Edward Pharoah, 17, approached cashiers and demanded money. At one point, authorities said he struck the counter with his bat.

“I heard a loud bang,” said Sands. “When I came a little closer, I saw he had a baseball bat in his hand.”

Sands said the blow to the counter attracted the attention of other customers, which prompted Pharoah to start to leave the store. That’s when Sands said he and another customer made their move.

There was a scuffle to subdue the suspect and get the bat away. The two men then forced Pharoah into a corner of the store.

Sands said when they had Pharoah cornered, they also had some time to talk with him. Sands said that he tried to reach out to Pharoah.

“I told him no matter what you are going through, you don’t have to resort to this,” said Sands.

Cashiers at the store called police, who arrived a few moments later. Sands said that he jumped into action out of concern for the store workers and for his wife and daughter.

“Whenever you try to hurt my family, put my family in danger, I take that personally,” Sands said.

Pharoah was charged with attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon.