Thefts of tip jars at restaurants happen.
But they often don’t get returned. And they don’t come back bejeweled and containing money and a note.
But that’s what happened at a Mexican restaurant in Warren. Although the business owner chose not to pursue criminal charges, Warren police are reminding would-be thieves that stealing something and then returning it doesn’t absolve you of potential criminal charges.
“It’s definitely bizarre. It’s definitely not the normal sequence of events you see,” Police Lt. John Gajewski told the Free Press on Wednesday, Feb. 11.
The events unfolded last week when the tip jar, a large, clear container decorated with white skulls and the word “Tips” in black letters, was swiped from the front counter of Mr. Miguel’s Mexican Grille & Cantina on Ryan Road. The jar wasn’t noticed missing for several hours, but once it was, the boss was notified and surveillance video was checked, server Tay Thaxton said.
The restaurant posted a video on its Facebook page on Feb. 3 showing the tip jar being swiped. The 11-second video showed a woman in a black puffy coat pulling the jar surreptitiously into the crook of her arm as she gathered a black carryout bag, sliding the jar off the counter and walking away.
The woman, who appears to be talking on a cell phone, also received a box with the carryout bag. A man approached, took the box and began walking away, according to the video.
The post read: “A REMINDER” that “PICK-UP ORDER” does not include taking the tip jar! Our staff rely on their tips and work hard for them. If anyone recognizes these people, please DM us. If you are the lady in this video, please bring it back, and we will chalk it up to a strange lapse in judgment,” the post said.
Thaxton said the tip jar was returned in the early morning hours of Feb. 7, left outside with $30 in cash, $15 in change, decorated with lights and a black felt lid, with two hearts and two white skull stickers. She said someone called the restaurant, asking whether they received the tip jar, whether they liked the upgrades, and said that his friend took it.
Thaxton said she didn’t know how much money was in the tip jar when it was swiped. She said she has worked there for almost a year and wasn’t aware of anyone taking the jar before. She said that the people in the video weren’t recognized by staff as regular customers, but once the video went viral, other people called saying they recognized them.
Gajewski said police began receiving calls about the incident after the business posted the video. Police reached out to the business, and a police report was made. He said a detective was assigned the case on Monday, Feb. 9, and police received some information and were fairly certain who the suspect was.
Gajewski said the business owner called police Tuesday, Feb. 10, and “to everybody’s surprise, the jar was returned.” He said the business owner chose not to go forward with charges.
But Gajewski reiterated: “Just because you take something and return it, it’s still potentially a crime.”
Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @challreporter.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tip jar swiped from Warren restaurant returned bejeweled, with cash
Reporting by Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
