- Local
- Community
- Journalism
Support the independent voice of Miami and help keep the future of New Times free.
Laughter is the best medicine, and in this case it might have been the best crime deterrent.
Phillip Steinberg attempted to rob a Village Pizza restaurant in Spring Hills, Florida, last Wednesday but was deterred after the female clerk laughed at him and told him no.
According to a release from the Hernando Sheriff's Office, Steinberg -- clad in a black ski mask, black gloves, jeans, a green shirt, and a denim vest -- entered the restaurant just after 8 p.m. He began brandishing a knife and asked the woman behind the counter for money.
The clerk apparently thought he was joking and laughed at him. She simply said "no" twice.
Steinberg gave up pretty easily and exited the store. He took off his ski mask and drove away in his small silver car. Another employee got a good look at his face.
The driver tailed the car to a home, and police arrived. They found the owner of the car reattaching his license plate.
Apparently, Steinberg had borrowed the car from the owner and told him that he had gone to buy liquor. Steinberg also told the friend that the pizza store had been robbed by someone matching the owner's description.
The actual owner gave police permission to search his car and apartment and quickly found the clothes and knife. The employee then identified Steinberg as the incompetent thief. Steinberg was taken into custody less than 12 minutes after the botched robbery attempt.
Follow Miami New Times on Facebook and Twitter @MiamiNewTimes.
Keep Miami New Times Free... Since we started Miami New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami, and we would like to keep it that way. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Miami with no paywalls.
