Enfield Resident Is Giving Thief a 'Second Choice'

An Enfield woman has a message for the thief who swiped a handful of change and a credit card from her car overnight Wednesday.

She is willing to give you a second chance — but first, you’re going to have to face her and apologize. Then she’ll give you the opportunity to work and legitimately earn the money.

It seems that when Theresa Meyer returned to her Thomas Street home Wednesday night, she was distracted as she had just left the wake for the father of close friends. In her distraction she forgot to lock her car. When she opened her Toyota Camry to go to her accounting office on Thursday morning she realized someone had been inside the car.

Missing was a collection of nickels, dimes and quarters in her change compartment — a total she estimated to be about $5 or $6. A credit card also was missing.

Rather than file a police report, Meyer took to social media appealing to the thief to right that wrong.

“It was a little bit of a surprise but I’ve been through worse,” Meyer said Thursday afternoon. “I just thought, I’ll turn it around and give the person the opportunity to earn money and learn from the experience.”

Meyer, who grew up in the Brainard Park neighborhood, said, “I can teach young people to make better choices. I’m giving them a second choice — and it’s really about choices. I’m a believer of leading by example. If you want things better, you have make things better.”

So to that end, the change and credit card pilferer has a ‘choice’.

In part, here is what Meyer wrote on the Enfield Patch Facebook page:

“I am going to give you the opportunity to make a new choice, other tha(n) your life of crime. If you are willing to come to me and apologize, I will give you a chance to EARN some money, instead of STEALING it. I have a lot of yard work that needs to be done.

So you are being given a CHOICE:

Earn money for work...get more.

Steal money from others that work...get less.”

She also added, “..the credit card has been reported stolen, so you are not going to be able to use it today.” Meyer acted quickly enough in canceling the card as there weren’t any attempts to use it, she said.

Meyer said, “Part of it is my own fault but they did enter my car unlawfully, without my permission.”

She is hopeful that the thief will accept her offer and that the situation will become a win-win for both sides.

What would you do? Would you give the thief a chance to make a better choice? Or would you have called the police? Let us know in the comment section.

Photo credit: dpanyikdale via Flickr.com.