GREENBURGH, N.Y. - A knife-wielding robber needed only $4, so he refused to take a $10 bill from his victim and waited while the man made change at a pizza parlor, police said Tuesday.


He then took the $4 and ran off, only to be captured a few blocks away, police said.

The suspect, James Mitchell, 48, was arraigned Tuesday on robbery and weapon charges. His lawyer, Arlene Popkin, refused to comment.

Police Capt. Joseph DeCarlo said it "really is an odd case, but it is a robbery."

The confrontation began over an artificial rose that the 18-year-old victim had just bought, police said.

"He came out of the store and was approached by the suspect, who said, 'Give me the rose,'" DeCarlo said. "The kid told him, 'Go in there and get one.' But the suspect says, 'I want that one, and your money, too,' and pulls out a knife.

When the teen said all he had was $10, the suspect said he wanted only $4, DeCarlo said.

"He tells the kid to go into the pizza parlor and get change," DeCarlo said. "Then the kid comes out, he takes his $4 and he leaves."

The teenager and his mother, who was across the street, called police and led officers to Mitchell, DeCarlo said.

He couldn't say why Mitchell wanted only $4.

Sounds like the dude has a few marbles missing.

ok...... weird case i never heard of a person wanting to rob less than the person wanting to give him.

The robber is as dotty as they come

i live in NY, i think i've crossed paths with this guy (not really).. but i had a guy put a gun to my head, as i had just finished cashing my pay check.. had a few hundred in one pocket, roughly $4 in the other. He dug into the pocket with the singles and ran. I let him go quietly.

He was missing a lot of them.

Glad they caught him.

I'm probably the only one that thinks he was nice.

LOL Nikki, you have to admit, he is still a few sandwiches short of a picnic though