Security footage of a shoplifter at SmartShopper on Main Street.
Image Credit: Leigh Follestad/Facebook
September 18, 2014 - 7:47 AM
PENTICTON - Social media came to the rescue once again for a local shop owner who was able to confront the man who stole from him.
Leigh Follestad, owner of SmartShopper on Main Street, posted to Facebook footage from security cameras of a man stealing form his store Tuesday night. Someone saw the video and provided a photo of the man they believed committed the crime.
While speaking on the phone with Infonews.ca Wednesday, the man walked in the door and Follestad did not hesitate to confront him.
“You’re the guy I have a problem with,” Follestad said.
“No, no, no I’m not,” the man said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Follestad followed the man, who identified himself as Al, up the street, while phoning the police at the same time.
“I guilted the hell out of him,” Follestad said. “'You took food off my kid’s plate,'” he said to Al, who ultimately admitted to stealing hundreds of dollars of meat from the store.
Follestad said Al could make it up to him by sweeping the front of the store tomorrow morning, but doubts he’ll show up. Regardless, he will press charges if police catch him.
“I gotta do something cause these guys are robbing me blind,” he said.
In April, two young men smashed the front door of the store and robbed the front counter. It only took two days for police to find the men after Follestad posted pictures and video from security cameras on Facebook.
He didn’t press charges because the men were still young, and instead gave them the option of working off the cost of fixing the door, he said.
Follestad’s tough love approach worked well for one of the men, who was at the time living on the streets.
He said Al is not a well-to-do guy either, but he’s not a young man and should know better.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Meaghan Archer at marcher@infotelnews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014