Sooke RCMP are asking the public’s help to find a man caught on video stealing the contents from a coffee shop tip jar just days before Christmas.
Police say the theft was reported on Dec. 23 at Serious Coffee, located in the 6600-block of Sooke Road in the Greater Victoria community.
Employees told RCMP that a man entered the coffee shop around 3:15 p.m. and took the tip jar from the counter.
The man was seen on security video taking the jar to the washroom, where it was found empty.
Police did not share how much money was taken, but the manager of Serious Coffee estimated it was around $40.
“It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s still hard for the girls who work there,” Christine Lehnen said.
“I’ve got a single mom, I’ve got three girls who are in college. I’m a new mom myself. Every little bit helps, so I was very upset.”
Lehnen said she was making sandwiches at the time when she “heard the jingle of the tip jar” behind her. When she turned around, the suspect had already disappeared.
After reporting the theft to police, she posted the news to a local Facebook group.
“We got a lot of community response and support,” Lehnen said. “Some very nice people donated some money to us, and a lot more were standing up on our behalf.”
The suspect is described as a Caucasian man between 40 and 50 years old with a full beard. He was wearing a dark Air Jordan toque and a dark jacket at the time of the theft.
Anyone who recognizes the suspect or has information helpful to the investigation is asked to contact Sooke RCMP or Crime Stoppers.