A middle-aged man, down on his luck, in debt and without money to pay the rent decides to embark on a life of crime in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His modus operandi is to rob small stores, grab a hostage and walk her to the nearest subway station where he releases her. When the police track him to his hotel, he barricades himself in his room and threatens to kill himself. The police work quickly to prevent the man from harming himself or others.