Police are searching for whoever is stealing donation boxes from the counters at Florida McDonald’s restaurants, investigators said.
Several Tampa Bay area law enforcement agencies are investigating after a man has stolen seven donation boxes (and attempted to rob an eighth), supporting the Ronald McDonald House, which provides housing for families with children undergoing cancer treatment.
“The thief who is doing this is not stealing from McDonald’s,” Dustin Portillo of Caspars Company, which owns 60 McDonald’s restaurants, told WTVT. “He’s stealing from a 9-year-old kid who is going through leukemia treatment.”
The suspect arrives on a red motorcycle and uses a pair of boltcutters he keeps in a black backpack to remove the lock before leaving with the donation box hidden beneath his red jacket, video shows.
The thefts have occurred in Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties.
We are asking for the public's assistance in identifying this man. On June 5, 2021 at approximately 10:35am, the suspect, described as a Black male, approximately 5'7-5'8, slender build, entered the McDonalds at 6042 Gall Blvd. While in the store, the suspect removed a lock from the Ronald McDonald House donation box, covered it with a black jacket, and walked away carrying the donation box. The box is valued at $500, with an unknown amount of donated money inside. If you have any information on who this suspect is, please contact ZPD at 813-780-0050 Option 1. #donationthief #zephyrhillspd #crimetips
Posted by Zephyrhills Police Department on Monday, June 7, 2021
“It is just hard for me to fathom that someone would do this,” Portillo said.
Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the suspect’s identification and arrest.
“He is a thief and he needs to go to jail,” Kelly McLaren of Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay, told WTVT. “He is taking money away from families going through a difficult time.”
Thief Steals Ronald McDonald House Donation Boxes Between May 26 and June 10, 2021, the same suspect is believed to be...
Posted by Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay, Inc. on Friday, June 11, 2021
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