Three hours after robbing a gas station, the culprit went back to return the money.
Police in Eureka, California were dispatched to the station at 6:14 a.m. on Oct. 26 following a report that a male suspect had entered the establishment brandishing a handgun and demanding money.
The robber, described as a male with dark complexion and dark hair, about 6 feet in height and who looked to be in his 20s, managed to get away with an undisclosed amount of cash and two bottles of beer before the first police officer arrived at the scene.
The officers were not able to locate the suspect, identified as Cyle Warren Abbott Jr., 23, who wore a camouflage hooded jacket and tan pants when he committed the robbery.
Tracing and catching the suspect would have been difficult after Abbott successfully fled from the scene, but it turned out the robber did not have the stomach to steal other people's cash.
At about 9:06 a.m. the assistant manager of the gas station contacted the police reporting that the suspect had returned the money he had earlier taken.
The police said that Abbott was in the bathroom waiting for the officers when they arrived. He apologized to the employees of the gas station and the officers, saying that he wants to do the right thing and turn his life around. Abbott also said that he intended to use the money he stole to leave town to have a fresh start at life.
Abbott was taken into custody without incident and is jailed at the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on a $50,000 bail.
As for the firearm he used for the robbery, Abbott said that it was a loaded BB pistol and that he discarded it in a grassy area near West Clark Street when he fled after he robbed the gas station. Although Abbott directed the officers to where he disposed the firearm, the officers were not able to find the pistol.
The Eureka Police Department has asked anyone with information about the incident, including the whereabouts of the missing pistol, to contact them at (707) 441-4060 or (707) 441-4044.
