A suspect was arrested after he allegedly stole $250 in cash tips from a Leo’s Coney Island in Taylor while picking up a DoorDash order, according to police.
The suspect reached over the counter and stole cash tips on Memorial Day evening, May 25, Taylor Police Lt. Josh Schneider told the Free Press on Thursday, May 28.
A video appearing to be restaurant security cameras shows a man reaching over a barrier to grab cash from the other side; at the same time, an employee has her back turned, preparing the order. The video was posted on Facebook by Kelly Plozai, who WXYZ identified as the server whose tips were stolen, with the caption saying, “That moment when you get robbed by a doordasher at the end of a 14-hour holiday work shift literally right behind your back.”
Plozai did not immediately respond to Free Press request for comment. Representatives of Leo’s Coney Island at 22373 Eureka Road were not immediately available for comment.
Police arrested the suspect in a traffic stop on Tuesday, May 26, at 8:30 p.m. Police found his license plate and vehicle information using camera footage from the restaurant, then located the suspect using Flock drones, Schneider said.
The suspect has since been released, Schneider said. The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office is determining charges. Larceny, the taking of someone’s property, can be a felony under Michigan law, depending on the circumstances.
Schneider said the incident appears to be a crime of opportunity, with the suspect seeing the money and taking it.
DoorDash will compensate the restaurant for the loss, according to a statement from a DoorDash spokesperson sent to the Free Press on Thursday, May 28. The company has permanently removed the suspect from the DoorDash platform and is cooperating with Taylor Police to support the investigation, according to the statement.
“Theft is unacceptable, and there is no place for this behavior on our platform,” according to the statement.
Contact Natalie Davies at ndavies@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: $250 in tips stolen from Taylor Leo’s Coney Island on Memorial Day
Reporting by Natalie Davies, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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