Charges: Attempted robbery thwarted by 8-year-old beating suspect with baseball bat

A man who tried to rob a liquor store in Maplewood on Saturday is now facing an attempted first-degree aggravated robbery charge.

If convicted, Conchobhar Joseph Morrell, 37, faces up to 10 years in prison or pay a fine of up to $17,500.

Maplewood police responded to a liquor store on White Bear Avenue on report of an armed robbery around 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

A store employee said that a man, later identified as Morrell, had put a bottle of liquor on the counter, put an apparent gun next to it, and told the employee to hand over “everything,” in the cash register, according to a criminal complaint. The employee said he would, but asked Morrell to put the gun away, as his 8-year-old daughter was present.

However, the employee said he wasn’t quick enough and Morrell came behind the counter. The employee told police he feared for his daughter’s safety and grabbed the gun from Morrell, while also punching him several times in the face.

The employee told police that Morrell then ran away.

The apparent gun was found to be a BB gun designed to be a replica Sig Sauer 1911 .45-caliber handgun, court documents state.

Surveillance video from the store showed Morrell going behind the counter with the BB gun. The store employee’s 8-year-old daughter is then seen grabbing a baseball bat and hitting Morrell several times.

Morrell was later found near the store and arrested. Court documents state that he had a fresh, bloody scrape beneath his left eye and dried blood on his lips. Authorities noted he was no longer wearing the clothes from the surveillance video.

Officers found the clothes he wore during the attempted robbery in his car. His phone was also found in the store.

The store employee confirmed that Morrell was the one who tried to rob the store.

Morrell reportedly denied being at the liquor store and said he got the injuries to his face in a prior altercation.

Court documents note that Morrell was convicted of first-degree aggravated robbery in 2004.