Cashier 91 and Thief Get Into A Fight At Rite Aid

By: John Lester
03/12/2010 07:27 PM ET

A 91-year-old cashier at a Rite Aid store in New York was back at work today after being attacked by a thief. Florence Critelli, who tried to fight him off, wants to give him a smack. The robber had punched her as she was giving him change.

“Critelli says she put her hand on top of his in an attempt to stop him. That’s when the suspect punched Critelli in the chest and ran out of the store with cash,” police said in a statement.

Critelli, who finished the rest of her shift, “I was a little shook up and that’s about it. I regret that I didn’t hit him in the head. I had the scanner right there.” She works seven hours a day, five days a week. You certainly don’t see many people in their 90s still in the workforce.

After the fight, she refused to leave work early, and also didn’t want medical help by authorities. In fact, she says she didn’t want to just sit home and be bored. After finishing her shift, she insisted on driving herself home.

She has seven grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Critelli further explained what happened in the store as if it just happened, “First he came up with a dollar, and he had a piece of candy in his hand, so I rang up the candy, and I opened up the register, and he went to grab the money,” she said with a serious look. “So I grabbed his arm to stop him, but he hit me in the chest.”

The great-grandmother said she wasn’t scared at all. In fact, she tired to stop him. The robber had “hit me good” but then she added, “it didn’t hurt.”

Who Stole $600 From Her Register?

A Florida resident and Publix cashier was arrested after allegedly stealing more than $600 in cash from her register. Publix store managers told police that Gisele Doreus, 30, had been stealing from the store. They said she stole a total of $617.42 by processing customer orders, accepting the cash from customers, and then voiding out the transaction.

Doreus would later steal the cash from the register drawer, and had repeated the system on seven different occasions. The managers spoke with Doreus about the incidents. She admitted to the thefts and was fired.

They contacted police because the managers said they wanted to press charges. During police questioning, Doreus admitted she stole the cash because she had creditors calling her and needed the money to pay bills. She was arrested for grand theft.

Follow Us