Thief Walks Off With $200 in Donations for Injured Man

Oh, the nerve.

The owners and employees of Knitterly on Fourth Street are reeling after someone stole a jar with an estimated $200 in cash and checks on Friday.

The store was collecting money for 28-year-old Petaluma resident Jesse Paul, who last year suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of a motorcycle accident. Paul, who can’t talk or walk and has a feeding tube, is staying at a rehabilitation facility in Petaluma.

“We were all just devastated angry and shocked,” said Shelli Westcott, Paul’s aunt and the owner of Knitterly, which sells yarn, needles and offers classes. “I can’t think of any worse karma than stealing a jar for an injured person.”

Employees believe the theft occurred Friday afternoon after someone noticed the clear glass jar near the register.

"I don't think it was one of our regulars, but someone who saw it from the sidewalk," Westcott said, adding that the donation jar was a way to tell customers about Jesse and his condition.

"People would say 'Who's Jesse?' and then often drop their change into the jar,” Westcott said. “But we won’t be doing it anymore. It’s too bad that one person had to go and ruin it.”

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