Reluctant Thief With Hungry Family Gets Pizza

**nickel** · 01-25-2013, 09:45 AM

This made me sad, but then the kindness of the clerk and his ability to defuse the situation is a great way for the whole thing to end up. Doesn't always go this well.

Reluctant Thief With Hungry Family Gets Pizza
January 24, 2013 8:45 AM

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A man who apparently summoned the courage to rob a Montana pizza restaurant changed his mind as the clerk started to hand him money, broke down crying and ended up leaving with a pizza to feed his hungry family.

Helena Police Chief Troy McGee praised the clerk’s actions.

“I’d say the clerk was pretty astute,” McGee said. “I mean, he knows how to talk to this person. Kind of commiserated with him a little. Talked to him about it and you know actually changed his mind about robbing the place. That was pretty good.”

Just after midnight Monday, a man wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a bandanna on his face entered a Papa John’s restaurant and handed the clerk a note demanding money.

The cashier started to comply, but then the man started crying and told the clerk he was just trying to provide for his wife and family.

The clerk talked with him for a few minutes and offered to make the would-be thief a pizza and some chicken wings.

As the man waited for the staff to make the food, a large knife fell out of his pocket, McGee said. He did not threaten anyone with it.

The man took the food and some soda and left on foot.

“In Helena, I don’t recall recently something like this has happened,” McGee said. “We have had a few in the past where people have changed their minds. But actually sitting down and waiting for the food and that sort of thing, no.”

McGee said he’s not sure what he could charge the man with.

“We’d like to locate the suspect,” McGee said. “We’d hate to have him do this again.”

A Papa John’s manager declined to comment.

http://seattle.cbslocal.com/2013/01/...ly-gets-pizza/

**DarkFury** · 01-25-2013, 02:04 PM

Yup... you know times is hard when it comes to stealing to truly cover basic necessities.

Sad, sad reality...

**Xstatic1** · 01-25-2013, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by DarkFury

Yup... you know times is hard when it comes to stealing to truly cover basic necessities.

Sad, sad reality...

true.

it reminds me of the movie "Murder in the First"...

**nickel** · 01-26-2013, 05:59 AM

Originally Posted by DarkFury

Yup... you know times is hard when it comes to stealing to truly cover basic necessities.

Sad, sad reality...

DF!!!!!

**Napoleon54** · 01-26-2013, 06:29 AM

Yea I agree it's a sad event, someone driven to that level of despair. However, I'm sure there are plenty of other hungry people who chose NOT to try to rob a pizza store. Unless you want to encourage those people to take the same tactic, you've gotta find this guy and run him through the criminal system. Otherwise it's just open season at any pizza shop for anyone who can claim hunger or despair. Sad but true.

**LPMiller** · 01-26-2013, 07:16 AM

So you don't think that this kindness helped this man and couldn't be just as effective in turning his life around as putting him in jail? People sometimes break and do things they when they become desperate and lose sight of themselves. This person may very well have been instrumental in getting this guys live back on track.

**Napoleon54** · 01-26-2013, 08:36 AM

Sure, I don't disagree with any of that. As a one-time thing, an anecdote, it's a heart-warming story. Absolutely. I wish the best for this guy and I feel for him. I admire the pizza guy for reaching out.

But you also have to consider the big picture. If this is acceptable for one person to do, then it has to be acceptable for everyone. What happens if this starts occurring on a daily basis? I'm sure the novelty would wear off pretty quick. What do you say to all the hungry people who have NOT resorted to robbery... Go ahead and do it, it's okay, we understand?

Edit: I'm not saying he needs to go to jail, that's not for me to decide. All I'm saying is that it's dangerous to simply let this go, you can't let that establish a precedent. Charge him with the crime and let a judge decide. Maybe there's some kind of program they could set him up with. That's what the legal system is for.

**LPMiller** · 01-27-2013, 01:29 PM

Why on earth would it happen on a daily basis?

**Napoleon54** · 01-27-2013, 06:34 PM

It could establish a precedent. If one hungry guy gets away with robbing a pizza store, that'll encourage others to do the same.

**gwilks98** · 01-30-2013, 11:46 AM

Jailing him might be the legal thing to do, but it's probably not the right thing to do. I don't see how giving him a criminal record is going to help him provide for his family and may push him to more desperate measures.
USA: 5% of the world's population, 25% of the total jailed population.

Am I the only one that sees a problem with that?

**LPMiller** · 01-30-2013, 12:13 PM

That's my point, thanks.

**Napoleon54** · 01-30-2013, 08:36 PM

I don't disagree. I'm not necessarily saying he needs to go to jail or have a criminal record, so please don't put words in my mouth.

I think the disagreement here is a matter of scope or perspective. Most people seem to be thinking of this as an anecdote or an isolated story of one individual. Regarding that, yes I agree it's a sad story. I feel bad for the guy and I admire the pizza dude for his handling the situation. Tear in my eye, time for a group hug, etc. I'm on board with that.

The thing I think people are missing here, though, is the big picture. This event didn't occur in a vacuum. There are plenty of other hungry people in the world, so what kind of example does this set for them? How are they going to see this and respond to it? From that point of view, if one dude can rob a pizza shop and there's no consequence to that.... then I don't see any reason why anyone else should bother paying for pizza anymore. If robbery is now acceptable (and in fact will get you a huge outpouring of sympathy for attempting it), then we all aught to just walk in and demand free pizza anytime we feel like it. I don't know how else to describe what, to me, seems like a very simple case of cause and effect. If robbing a pizza shop is acceptable, then there's a pretty good chance you're going to see more people robbing pizza shops. Or grocery stores, or gas stations, or private residences even.

I don't know what the solution is. Nobody here has enough details about the case to decide exactly what that is. The one thing I hope we can all agree on is that robbery is NOT acceptable in a civil society. Robbery is a criminal act. There has to be some sort of consequence to that, some sort of reaction that will dissuade others from attempting the same thing. Otherwise, following that mindset to its logical conclusion would lead society into a black pit of lawlessness and chaos.

**LPMiller** · 01-31-2013, 06:33 AM

not every situation suddenly leads to a slippery slope. I mean, this is what's wrong with people. This is what gives us zero tolerance policies that get 6 year old girls suspended for turning their fingers into the shape of the gun. The idea that if you just treat one situation like the individual moment in time it is, that all other situations suddenly get dealt with the same way. We need to be flexible then that.

**Markel** · 02-01-2013, 04:58 PM

Now this adds an interesting twist to this story (and discussion). Link

Montana man made up sob story that got him pizza

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A Montana man whose tearful reluctance to rob a pizza restaurant earned him free food apparently made up the sob story that gained him the clerk's sympathy.

David Randall Lacey, 35, entered a Papa John's pizza restaurant on Jan. 22 with a bandanna over his face and gave the clerk a note demanding money, Helena police said. He broke down crying and told the clerk he needed the money to support his wife and children, who were hungry. The clerk made him a large pepperoni pizza and some chicken wings as he waited, and the man left.

The Independent Record reports an investigation found Lacey has no children in Helena and changed his story when he saw how little money was in the cash register — just $24.56, according to a police report.

Police received a tip that Lacey acknowledged his role in the incident and a clerk picked him out of a lineup. He was arrested Thursday on suspicion of felony robbery. He remained jailed Friday with bail set at $25,000.

Lacey told police he needed the money to buy food, court records said.

**nickel** · 02-02-2013, 07:55 AM

A robber and a liar to boot.

Thanks for the update Markel

**Napoleon54** · 02-02-2013, 10:49 AM

Huh, how about that. So it seems it's a good thing that this was investigated, versus just letting the guy walk away. Sounds likely that he didn't feel bad about the robbery itself, he was just upset that it was a failure (netting only $25) and was trying to get himself out of trouble.

Even given that, I still don't think he automatically should go to jail (despite the words others have tried to put in my mouth). That entirely depends on the circumstances, including whether Papa John's wants to press charges. Is he really starving? Is he trying to feed someone else's starving children? Has he applied for assistance, charity, welfare, etc, and been denied unjustly? Who knows, way too many variables for anyone here to pass judgment. That's why I'm glad it's being investigated and addressed.