Conchobhar Joseph Morrell was arrested in Maplewood, Minnesota, and charged with attempted first-degree aggravated robbery. Morrell’s burglary attempts were ultimately thwarted by an 8-year-old girl – and her trusty baseball bat.
Police responded to a report of an armed robbery at a liquor store later that day on a fateful Saturday night. When they arrived at the store, an employee explained what had happened.
Per PEOPLEMorrell began his plan by placing a bottle of alcohol and a gun on the counter. He demanded that the clerk hand over everything. The clerk reportedly agreed, but only on the condition that Morrell put the gun down since his 8-year-old was present.
Morrell refused and went behind the counter to confront the clerk. When Morrell got close enough, the clerk began hitting him and wrestling for control of the gun. The clerk, who CBS News said was the store manager, Leo, then got the surprise of his life.
Unbeknownst to anyone, his 8-year-old daughter grabbed an aluminum bat. She then ran up to Morrell and repeatedly hit him in the head while he was struggling with Leo. Soon, Morrell gave up and quickly fled without money or his gun. Leo may have been acting on his daughter’s behalf, but it turned out his daughter was a bigger protector than he could have ever imagined.
Brave 8-year-old girl helps her father chase away a burglar
“I’m so proud of her, she’s so strong,” Leo told CBS. “That day, I just wanted to cry. When I saw the video, I didn’t expect her to do that. I expect a little girl who cries and screams.”
When he asked her why she did it, his daughter confirmed that she wanted to protect him and that she loved him so much. She had reportedly been hiding in the store and decided to intervene when the situation looked hopeless.
Situations like this are exactly why you should never be too quick to dismiss the efforts of children. In a life or death situation, you never know! In Leo’s case, his daughter turned out to be a real action movie hero! Maybe she should take her bat and take out vigilantism across the state!
