A would-be armed robber who held up a mobile phone shop repented during the raid and left as a rescued soul after a sermon from a Christian shop assistant.

Nayara Goncalves, 20, told the man calmly that God had better plans for him when he drew a gun and demanded cash from the till of the shop in Pompano Beach, Florida.

The fearless shop assistant even made the robber promise he would go back to church and turn his life around as he sheepishly left after listening to five minutes of preaching.

I said I know you have a gun and you’re going to do what you want, but let me tell you about Jesus,’ said Miss Goncalves, who added she always carries a Bible.

‘I’m a Christian and I have God, and let me tell you about Jesus because he can change your life, you don’t need to do this.’

During the encounter, which was captured by a security camera at the MetroPCS shop, the man told her that he was going to be evicted in three days and needed $300 (£192) to cover his rent.

‘I’ve never done this before,’ he is heard telling her. ‘I’m not very good at this, obviously. If there’s no money in the register, can you show me?’

Miss Goncalves told him that there was little cash in the til but that any he took would be deducted from her wages.

‘I don’t want to do that to you, I’m sorry,’ he replies, backing away from the till.

It also turned out that the robber, who said he was married and had a job, knew the same pastor as Miss Goncalves from an earlier time when he went to church in nearby Fort Lauderdale.

Miss Goncalves said: ‘I don’t think he was a bad person at all.

‘I looked into his eyes and he didn’t seem a criminal.’

Read the full story here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1298991/Armed-robber-Nayara-Goncalves-abandons-raid-shop-assistant-preaches-Christian-sermon.html