A wallet stolen from a shoe store in Dagupan City was returned with a handwritten apology note—but the thief had already taken the cash.
Surveillance footage captured a man pacing outside the shop in Barangay Mayombo on the night of September 2 before swiftly entering and grabbing a wallet left on a couch. The store’s door had accidentally been left unlocked, giving the man quick access.
According to a GMA News Online report, inside the wallet was ₱3,000 and multiple ATM cards belonging to a relative of the shop owner.
“Yung mga dalawang babae nandito sa harap, tas kaming dalawang lalaki nasa loob. Tapos hindi po namin namalayan na nakabukas po pala yung pintuan, hindi naka-lock. Tas pagpasok nung dalawa, as in one minute lang po, saka na po dumaan yung salisi,” said store employee Kier Ballesteros.
The next day, the shop owner sought help from barangay officials and police. Authorities later identified the suspect as someone from nearby Barangays 2 and 3.
After speaking with the suspect, the shop requested that at least the wallet and ATM cards be returned, even if the money was gone. “Parang kinausap na ibalik lang yung kinuha kahit wag po yung laman, basta yung kinuha lang po. Tapos after po noon, kinabukasan binalik,” Ballesteros added.
By Wednesday morning, the wallet was found outside the store inside a plastic bag, along with a letter of apology. In the note, the suspect confessed to stealing the wallet due to financial difficulty.
While the ATM cards were recovered, the cash was not. As of this writing, police have not issued a statement, and the barangay council has yet to respond.
