Trenton detectives are still looking for the suspect in the Friday, Sept. 11 theft of an employee's cell phone from Butch's Welding in East Trenton, police spokesman Lt. Stephen Varn said Thursday. Watch video
TRENTON - The man who stole a cell phone from a Trenton welding shop and later returned it with an apologetic note might be square with the owner, but city police are still looking for him on a theft charge.
Trenton detectives are searching for the suspect in the Friday, Sept. 11 theft of an employee's cell phone from Butch's Welding in East Trenton, police spokesman Lt. Stephen Varn said Thursday.
"If he really would like to to the right thing, he should turn himself in to police," Varn said Thursday.
On Wednesday, shop owner Butch Mikos and his daughter Laureen Nichole Culliton, said they were not interested in pursuing action against the man, who tossed the phone over the shop's fence the night before.
With the phone was an apologetic and remorseful note from the man.
"I'm the one who took your phone," the note says, "I'm in a desperate situation."
"We're just glad that maybe this did change him," Culliton said Wednesday. "We're hoping it's a lesson learned."
Culliton said Thursday she and her father stand by that feeling that all is well.
But Mikos did report the theft to police last Friday and Culliton said they cannot control the police.
The welding business' security system caught the man swiping the phone and Culliton posted footage of the crime on Facebook Monday.
An anonymous call to the shop said the footage got back to the man, who was embarrassed, Culliton said.
The security system also recorded a man tossing an item over the company's fence late Tuesday. On Wednesday morning, employees found the stolen phone in a box, with the note.
RELATED: Read thief's handwritten apology found with returned phone
In the handwritten note, the man says he is out of work, his kids are in need and he took the phone in a rush of adrenaline and was only thinking of the money he'd get for exchanging it.
"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."
The man also pledges: "I promise this situation will change me."
Anyone with information about the incident or the man is asked to call Detective Sgt. Darren Zappley at 609-989-4152 or email him at dzappley@trentonpolice.net.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.
