Seven-Year-Old in Hot Pursuit of Armed Robber

Aug. 8, 2007 — -- For a North Carolina armed robber, the police were the least of his worries — he had a 7-year-old girl on his case.

When a man walked into her mother's store, demanding money and cigarettes, Alisha Williamson leapt over the counter and took off in hot pursuit while her mom, Lisa, watched.

The armed robber came into the Save More food mart on U.S. Route 29, near the Virginia state line, for what police said was a "small" amount of cash from the register and a few packs of Newport cigarettes.

He left with trouble.

In an interview with "Good Morning America," Alisha said she pushed the robber as he took money from the register, telling him to back away.

"I didn't want him to hurt mommy. He got three packs of Newports while mommy was calling the po-po," Alisha said.

So Alisha took matters into her own hands, chasing the robber out of the store.

"I was thinking I'm gonna catch him. I'm gonna get that little feller. And I was trying to catch him to make him slow down," Alisha said.

She followed him into the parking lot, where she said he pulled out a gun. At that point, Alisha hid under her polka dot "blankie — it's my security blanket." She fell to the ground, thinking the bullet would go over her head.

Police have identified the alleged robber as 16-year-old Roy Herbin, a resident of Reidsville, N.C., who police say should be considered armed and dangerous.

Lisa told her daughter she was proud of her, but warned her not to do it again, to which Alisha responded, "Mommy, I just wanted to protect you and help the police to get that man."