Maya Thompson,
A 26-year-old nursing student, worked the night shift at a 24-hour gas station in a quiet suburb outside Cleveland, Ohio. She was smart, cautious, and always followed the rules. But nothing could have prepared her for what happened on the night of February 11, 2019.
It was just past 2:00 a.m. The store was empty except for the hum of the refrigerators and the occasional gust of wind outside. Maya stood behind the counter, sipping lukewarm coffee and reviewing her anatomy notes. She noticed a man walk in—mid-40s, tall, with a heavy coat and a hoodie underneath. His hands were deep in his pockets.
Maya greeted him. “Good morning. Let me know if you need anything.”
He didn’t respond. He walked straight to the counter, eyes darting around. A sense of unease prickled Maya’s neck.
Then he spoke, low and rushed:
> “Give me the money. Now. Don’t make this harder.”

Maya glanced at the surveillance camera, then at his right pocket, where she could see the outline of something metal—maybe a knife. Maybe a gun.
Instead of panicking, Maya followed the self-defense training her brother, a former Marine, had drilled into her.
She calmly opened the register. As the man leaned in and reached across the counter, she made her move. With practiced speed, she pulled a canister of pepper spray from under the counter—something she'd started keeping there after a previous late-night scare—and blasted him in the face.
The man screamed, stumbling backward and clawing at his eyes. Maya hit the silent alarm and dashed to the back room, locking the door behind her.
Police arrived in under four minutes. The suspect, later identified as Leonard Blake, had a long history of robbery and assault. He was arrested on the spot and sentenced to 12 years in prison for attempted armed robbery.