Washington, 18, went to a Popeyes restaurant in eastern New Orleans on Saturday to meet with manager Danyanna Metoyer about a job. While he was there, a man who appeared to be a patron came inside and asked if she could make change for a dollar.

Metoyer told the Associated Press that when she opened the cash register the man, Pablo Ciscart, 50, grabbed money from the change drawer. Assistant manager Dominique Griffin attempted to grab his arm but couldn’t get a firm hold on him, so he got away.

Metoyer was able to block the exit telling the AP, “My upper body strength was stronger than his.” She added that they hadn’t made a lot of money, so she couldn’t let him take what they did have. As she barricaded the doorway, Washington grabbed his arms and bent them back. He, along with cook Michael Ford, kept Ciscart immobile until police arrived on the scene and arrested him.

The Popeyes manager said she and Griffin had already made the decision to hire Washington before the robbery occurred, but they only got the chance to tell him after the fact, “You’re hired. You’ve earned it.”