Most business owners call the police and try to prosecute those who steal from their establishment, but not Damian Penner. He could have easily judged the woman who stole 8 pre-made pizzas from his Manitoba, Canada pizza shop.
Instead, he showed her compassion and that there are people who are willing to help.
According to CBC News, the woman came into the pizzeria with her four children on Sunday night after 10 p.m.
The kids were causing a ruckus in the restaurant, running around and moving chairs, while their mom was arguing with the girl who worked at the counter.
“They were causing her to get incredibly flustered that she wan’t really able to focus on what was all going on around her,” Penner explained.
Surveillance footage later showed that the kids were purposefully distracting the restaurant’s staff so that the woman could steal four pre-made take-and-bake pizzas from a cooler.
She put them in her bag and left only to return with her kids a few minutes later so the kids could steal even more pizza.
Penner said he was pretty mad at first since someone was stealing from his pocket and his family, however, instead of calling the cops he took to social media.
“We have kids involved here and that’s something where I don’t want to be putting their lives at a potential disadvantage,” he said. “I don’t want to be that factor. So we figured we’ll do a reach out and maybe she can see that there’s some kind hearts out there that really do want to help.”
In his post, Penner told the woman that he would be glad to help her get in touch with agencies that could assist her and her children.
He also asked her to think about the example she is setting for her children.
Penner has since tracked the woman down on social media but says he does not plan to expose her for her crime.
“I’m a family man and this is a family that I don’t want to give unjust stress to, but would rather see the community try and help them out,” Penner said. “Putting her picture on social media is just going to [cause] shame. Rather than trying to shame somebody I want to try and give them a hand up. Just a little bit of compassion goes a long way in this world.”
And many agreed as Penner’s story went viral after he posted his call to the woman on Facebook.
The woman hasn’t come in for help as of yet but Penner is still hopeful that she will.
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