'Let's Have A Beer Summit': Family Make Thieves Who Returned Stolen Lion Statue An Offer
WEST CHESTER, Pa. (CBS) – Two thieves had a change of heart and it was all caught on camera at a West Chester house. The heist ended with a bouquet of flowers and a big apology.
The thieves didn't come away empty-handed either for returning the lion statue.
Daisies, lilies and carnations are what the Bunn family received, along with a typed apology note, on their doorstep after two suspected thieves returned their stolen lion statue.
Last Wednesday, a surveillance camera captured two thieves dressed in sweats and hoodies stealing a statue of a lion off the front steps of a home on the 400 block of North Church Street.
The Bunns bought the lions three years ago. They say each one cost $150.
"We were kind of shocked," Christiana Bunn, the homeowner, said. "But we were also laughing."
Bunn and her husband, David Bunn, weren't home, but their youngest daughter, Cecilia Bunn, and their 9-year-old guard dog Roscoe were around.
"I thought it was funny because I was home in my room when it happened," Cecilia Bunn said.
David Bunn said he reported the incident to the police on Thursday morning. He was advised by police to share the surveillance video on social media.
The video made the rounds on Facebook and Twitter. Less than 24 hours later, their surveillance cameras captured new footage.
This time, it was what appeared to be the same two thieves in similar attire returning the lion and placing flowers in a vase, along with a typed apology note, on their doorstep.
"I think that they were just trying to make things right, quite honestly," David Bunn said. "It blew up in a way that I couldn't have imagined and I think that they probably felt the same way."
In the note, the thieves said they were planning on returning the statue the entire time.
"We are greatly sorry for taking your lion. We were not thinking and not acting as intelligent individuals at that time. We were planning to return it the whole time. We meant for this to be a harmless joke with no intentions of it going to this extent. We deeply regret our actions and from the bottom of our hearts we are sorry. In our attempts to get a few laughs and make some memories we neglected to consider what we were actually doing. We do feel very sorry. We are good people who made a mistake. Thank you for finding it in your heart to understand and hopefully forgive us. Again, so very sorry," the letter reads.
David Bunn said the family was happy to get the lion back "because his twin missed him."
So much so that he made the two thieves an offer.
"Come knock on the door," he said. "Let's have a beer summit."
Police are still searching for the individuals who initially stole the statue, but the Bunns have no hard feelings. They're just waiting to see if they'll take them up on their offer.
