Thief apologizes to restaurant for stealing ketchup after a run of bad luck

One restaurant owner in New Jersey, USA, was surprised to receive two new bottles of ketchup and a handwritten apology from a thief consumed with guilt.

The owner of DiLeo’s Perkins restaurant, Maria DiLeo, received the note on July 31 and posted it on a Facebook group on Friday, August 2. The writer signed as “an awful person.”

Image: Facebook/Maria DiLeo

The writer of the note confessed that the ketchup was stolen weeks ago because “for some odd reason I thought it’d be ‘risky.’”

“I am as square as they come and this is the worst thing I’ve done,” the person said. It was mentioned that some bad circumstances occurred after stealing the ketchup.

“A few hours [after] I did it someone crashed into my car and since then my karma, luck and life have been sh*t.”

“I hope returning two new bottles will restore some [luck] for me, and I can stop carrying around this guilt,” the writer said. “Again, I’m really sorry I inconvenienced you the same way my life has been inconveniencing me.”

While the writer was wracked with guilt, DiLeo had not noticed the missing bottle, as per a CBC report on Friday. The restaurant owner expressed pity for the writer, whom she believes is a girl based on the handwriting.

DiLeo posted the note on Facebook and said “you are forgiven” in hopes that the person concerned will no longer feel guilty.

She said that after 13 years in the business, pilferage is something she is used to. “My mom goes in and takes the Splenda,” she said with a laugh.

“I had a lady take my whole sugar caddy. I mean, what am I going to say to her? I figured she needed it more than me.” 

The letter is now framed and the ketchup bottles will stay together as a show of forgiveness.  Niña V. Guno /ra

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