General News
3 September, 2024
Local store victim to donation box theft
A donation box for the Carisbrook Lions Club containing around $100 was stolen from Maryborough IGA last week.
A man was seen stealing the charity box just before 7 pm last Tuesday on the store’s CCTV cameras.
IGA Maryborough store manager and Carisbrook Lions Club president Jefferson Hoober said he has pressed no charges as the individual concerned has taken responsibility for his actions.
“I was heartbroken that people could do that and take from the charity,” he said.
“You deal with these things all the time and sadly you hear of these things and it’s desperate times but that is not the answer.
“Thankfully he stood up on his own two feet, fronted up to the supermarket on Thursday morning and apologised to me, and that he would fix me up.
“To his word, he came in on Saturday and has paid three-quarters of what he took and guarantees he will pay the rest in two weeks.
“Let’s hope he’s learnt his lesson from it and doesn’t do it again.”
Following the incident, Mr Hoober uploaded CCTV footage of the incident on the store’s Facebook page.
The post reached 14,500 people and was shared 115 times before it was taken down after the offender reimbursed the majority of the money stolen.
Mr Hoober believes the social media post played a role in the offender taking responsibility for his actions and said he is grateful for the local support.
“I want to thank the community for looking out for us and helping in any way that they can — it shows we are in a great community who look out for one another,” he said.
“I went home and put him on social media and within five minutes of me putting the post on Facebook had my phone red hot for two days.
“We have some bad people around the area at the moment and everyone needs to be very cautious and watch out for people in need.”
Maryborough Police Station Sergeant Jamie Coles is urging residents to remain vigilant and to contact police if they see any suspicious activity.
“If you see something, say something, report it to Triple Zero (000) at the first available opportunity, secure your footage, and be prepared to provide a statement to assist with those inquiries,” she said.