Man steals $17.50 from kids lemonade stand

@estherlou (5015)
United States
June 17, 2008 9:30am CST
Is this not crazy! The kids were selling lemonade on a street corner when the 18 year old snatched their money and ran. One of the kids, a girl started running after him and used her cell phone to call 911. You go girl! The police encircled his house and arrested him. Another child, a 12 yr. old said, "I didn't think anyone would come up to a lemonade stand and steal money. That's really low." How true! http://www.wthitv.com/global/story.asp?s=8500887
17 people like this
55 responses
@carolbee (16230)
• United States
17 Jun 08
This is so sad. How could anyone stoop so low to steal money from a few kids who are trying to make a few bucks selling lemonade? I hope the 18 yr. old is forced to pay back the kids and also do some grueling, outside, nasty work through community service and not just get a slap on the hand.
1 person likes this
• United States
18 Jun 08
Talk about community service. I know a great punishment for this guy. Make him stand out there in the grueling heat/sun to sell their lemonade for them with a sign saying something like "I stole money from the kids running this stand and was caught. This is my punishment. Please throw rotten food at me for I deserve it." Whatever money he does manage to make selling lemonade, he should give to the kids.
@mscott (1923)
• United States
13 Jul 08
Isn't it sad? So what does this say about our country, we teach people to steal what they want or is it that our country has forced people to resort to this type of behavior? It was good that the girl got the guy caught but also a little dangerous. I am not sure she should have followed this guy, calling was good though.
1 person likes this
@edigital (2709)
• United States
17 Jun 08
I am thinking another way ! I have some sympathy for the man as he did not find any way to get the money though it is rude to steal from poor kids lemonade stand ! I heard that in some Asian poor countries Chief Executives say Prime Minister or President and their family members, Ministers including bureaucrats stealing million and billions amount money but they are hardly caught and if caught are escape compromising with next ruler ! How the thieves of the world are treating, billion dollars thief is escape and low and negligible amount theif is caught and punish - when we will expect equal judgement in this world ??
• United States
17 Jun 08
that is just to sad we try and raise our kids to make a honest livin and then some one comes along like that and do that to them
1 person likes this
@checapricorn (16061)
• United States
12 Jul 08
Good thing he was caught..HE wasn't ashame to this kid who tried to earn in a descent way and he will just steal it..Why not getting a job to have money...Gosh..what a lazy man! Great kid though! smart!
1 person likes this
• United States
12 Jul 08
Actually, that is the perfect target for an opportunistic petty criminal. How much of a threat are two little girls operating a lemonade stand? The same is true for yard sales.
1 person likes this
• United States
17 Jun 08
I guess he didn't have the guts enough to go after anyone his age so he had to go after children that weren't going to stand around and let him get away with it. I find it hilarious that a 12 year old fought back. This is when cellphones come in handy.
1 person likes this
@jillmalitz (5131)
• United States
17 Jun 08
Kudos to the kids and good job to the cops.
1 person likes this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
14 Sep 09
Hello estherlou. It is so bad of the man to steal money from the others. It is really crazy of him, especially when he stole from kids. I am wondering how the man got his punishment in the end.
• United States
17 Jun 08
That is one brave little girl and a quick thinker too. I am glad that she called the police and didn't try to stand up to him herself. I am disgusted at what that kid did. It's just sad that someone would steal money from kids who worked really hard to make that lemonada and they probably were standing there for a long time selling it. I am glad that they caught him and I hope that something like this doesn't happen to them again.
1 person likes this
@twallace (2675)
• United States
17 Jun 08
The person that did this was wrong and the little girl had her head on her shoulder. She works well under pressure. That is good, I know that she thinks different of people now that it happened. I wouldn't have thought someone would do that to kids trying to earn money. That was just wrong. But for them to be young they did what they had to do. Good work.
@chrislotz (8137)
• Canada
16 Aug 08
It is a sad world we live in. These kinds of things happen all of the time and I don't understand it any more than you do. How can anyone be so cruel is beyond me. I have a little story to tell you, something that just happened to me the other day. I was at a lounge playing some VLT's and I went outside for a smoke when this little kid came up to me, he was only about 5 years old, asking me for some money because he was hungry and his mom wasn't home and there was nothing for him to eat at home. So I asked him how he was going to get something to eat if I gave him some money and he said he would walk to the store to buy some bread, if he only had a couple dollars. Now the closet store is about 6 blocks away and he would have to cross the highway to get to it. So I offered to take him to the store and he said no thanks because he was taught not to go anywhere with strangers. Well, that was good but there was no way I was letting this little child walk across the highway by himself so I said well let me just walk you across the highway then. So he said no to that too, so I ended up giving him $5 anyways since I felt sorry for him. I no sooner gave him the money when he ran from me with it and ran to a car that was parked on the street and got in. There was a lady driving the car and I have to presume it was his mom since he knew enough to not go anywhere with a stranger. I say this is really sad that his mom was sitting in a waiting car for him while he is out begging for money. I tried to get the license plate number because I was going to report this, but she drove away so fast I couldn't get it. What a say world we live in. I would like to strangle this mom and take her child away from her. It's one thing for an adult to go begging but to get her child to do it, is sad.
@estherlou (5015)
• United States
17 Aug 08
And with mom making him beg...who knows what she was going to use the money for. Really sad.
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
17 Jun 08
That IS really low! I'm glad that there was a positive outcome though and that the guy got caught.
@SwtJenlove (1090)
• United States
17 Jun 08
omg thats crazy. glad he got caught!!
1 person likes this
@Elixiress (3878)
12 Jul 08
I do not think that it is any worse than stealing from anyone else. I do see the appeal though, no CCTV or anything like that like other larger stores. I am glad that he was caught though just like any other theft.
@metschica25 (5399)
• United States
25 Nov 08
Hey hey there ! Wow That is so wrong ! wow super wrong ! how bad did that man really need that money . I am in shock here wow ! Glad he got caught and glad the kid did something . knowing myself then i would of been freaked !
@bmorehouse1 (1028)
• United States
18 Mar 09
You know with the economy the way it is, I'm afraid we will be hearing more and more stories like this one. People are desperate and will use any means they can to get a few bucks. I don't usually condone children having cell phones, but in this instance it was a blessing. The little girl was level headed enough to call the police. Good for her!
• United States
13 Jul 08
wow thats sad ...(for the18year old) who would do that?
@vanonas (949)
• United States
6 Jan 09
WOW! People are so desperate these days. Like they won't get caught!! How ridiculous. I don't understand why people rob even convenient stores at gas stations when they only have $25 in the register! LOL I mean go for the big bucks if you're even going to ATTEMPT to steal. And I agree, how LOW of them to steal from a kids lemonade stand! People these days are so horrible. I was hoping one day my child would want to have a lemonade stand or something because it's always cute when they do it on TV but after reading this it makes me think twice :( - vanonas www.thelendingstory.com
• United States
18 Mar 09
I am not surprised. A man (supposedly a friend) talked me into buy a camper for my kids. My ex gave me half of his tax return for the 3 kids, ages 10-14. They wanted a camper so I gave this guy $ 4700 which was the payoff. He will not give me the camper or the money back. He is a firefighter/paramedic and lives with a highway patrol officer, and taught Sunday school. People will stoop to lowest of lows and you can't trust anyone.