When employees arrived for work Wednesday morning, they found a box containing the phone, with an apologetic note. Watch video
TRENTON - When a man swiped a cell phone from Butch's Welding in East Trenton last week, the shop's security system clearly recorded the crime, and all of the thief's tattoos.
Owner Butch Mikos called police and then had his daughter Laureen Nichole Culliton post is on her Facebook page in hopes someone knows the thief and could identify him to authorities.
It worked, but not in the way they thought.
When employees arrived for work Wednesday morning, they found a box containing the phone, with an apologetic note.
"I'm the one who took your phone," the note says, "I'm in a desperate situation."
The thief goes on to describe that he is out of work, his kids are in need, he swiped the phone in a rush of adrenaline and that he was only thinking of the money he'd get for exchanging it.
The the thief pledges: "I promise this situation will change me."
"I'm sorry I hurt you," the note also says. "I'm not that type but a situation can lead some to do dumb things. I beg you with all my hear not to take this further, please. I am getting right with God again."
Culliton and her father - and brother, it was his phone - were stunned.
"We were taken aback and we had mixed feelings," Culliton said.
It's a family business and Culliton said her father, in Trenton for 21 years, is known to help people in need, like paying people cash to clean his shop.
Culliton said the man did steal the phone, and they were hoping police would catch him.
But in the end, Mikos and his family are not going to pursue action against the man because he did own up to his actions, albeit in a note and not face to face. "Which we hope maybe he will do."
"We just wanted an apology, and he did explain it," Culliton said of the note.
The note also is consistent with an anonymous phone call the shop received, saying someone in the man's family saw the Facebook footage and informed him of it, which led him to return it with the handwritten plea for a pass, Culliton said.
"We're just glad that maybe this did change him," Culliton said. "We're hoping it's a lesson learnred."
As for the security system, Culliton said it's that good, and should also be a lesson for thieves in the area.
It recorded the man tossing the box over the fence at the business, at 11:58 p.m. Tuesday, she said.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.
