Honor among thieves.

Vince524 · Aug 8, 2013

This isn't something you hear about every day.

The thieves broke into the San Bernardino County Sexual Assault Services office on the night of July 31, according to a press release from Cal Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES). Candy Stallings, the nonprofit's executive director, said the burglars had shimmied between floor boards and walls to get past the building's high security system.

...
Police called Stallings the next morning around 4:30, according to NBC Los Angeles. They told her more suspicious activity was taking place at her office.

But when Stallings arrived, she found a surprise.

"All my stuff was in front of the door," she told the station. "There was a shopping cart, and there were the PCs that were taken, there was the laptop. Everything was there."

In that laptop, an investigator discovered the note. It read:

We had no idea what we were takeing [sic]. Here your stuff back. We hope that you guys can continue to make a difference in peoples [sic] live. God bless.

Glad to see that they returned the stuff. But this doesn't make them good guys. Just not heartless I guess.

What would they gt charged with now if they were caught?

DeleyanLee · Aug 8, 2013

They could still get charged with breaking and entering, though the burglary charge might get dropped.

Now, just hoping they didn't make copies of any personal info while they had it....

Zoombie · Aug 10, 2013

The nicest (and strangest) story I have heard all day

http://www.salon.com/2013/08/08/bur...to_group_that_helps_sexual_assault_survivors/

a group of thieves who lifted several computers from a Los Angeles office building returned the stolen goods after realizing that they had just ripped off a support center for survivors of sexual assault.

The burglars felt so bad about stealing from the nonprofit that they even included a note of apology, explaining [sic]: “We had no idea what we were takeing. Here your stuff back we hope that you guys can continue to make a difference in peoples live. God bless.”

awwwwwww...

Vince524 · Aug 10, 2013

Zoombie said:
http://www.salon.com/2013/08/08/bur...to_group_that_helps_sexual_assault_survivors/

awwwwwww...

Dude.

Williebee · Aug 10, 2013

Yeah.

Merged.

dfwtinman · Aug 10, 2013

But, if say, it had only included all your WIP and every short story or poem you'd ever written, they'd have kept it. Odd , and sort of interesting news piece, but no honor here, imo.

missesdash · Aug 10, 2013

dfwtinman said:
But, if say, it had only included all your WIP and every short story or poem you'd ever written, they'd have kept it. Odd , and sort of interesting news piece, but no honor here, imo.

I wouldn't consider it as valuable. Sure I love my precious words, but I'd throw them all out of the window if it helped victims of violent crimes.

dfwtinman · Aug 10, 2013

missesdash said:
I wouldn't consider it as valuable. Sure I love my precious words, but I'd throw them all out of the window if it helped victims of violent crimes.

My point was not that my WIP is as valuable as the items returned. In fact, the opposite, which is why I doubted it would be returned. My point is that a single act of contrition by a thief does not equate to honor.

Ambrosia · Aug 10, 2013

Actually, I am not sure I agree, Tin. Though "honor" would probably not be the word I would choose. Perhaps "heart" would better fit.

William Haskins · Aug 10, 2013

i had a similar situation after my kidney was stolen one night (long story).

short version: it was returned, but it obviously had had a bite taken out of it.

still, the gesture was nice, i guess.

missesdash · Aug 10, 2013

dfwtinman said:
My point was not that my WIP is as valuable as the items returned. In fact, the opposite, which is why I doubted it would be returned. My point is that a single act of contrition by a thief does not equate to honor.

Hm, well we only know of this single act. But the fact that they returned it with a note explaining why seems to me that there is some kind of system in place where they consider the likely results when they steal.
"Honor" is so abstract anyway, so I suppose whether or not they have any can really only ever be a matter of opinion.

I'm also not opposed to stealing on principle. I generally consider what was stolen, who it was stolen from and what it or the resulting money is to be used for. At the very least they're more thoughtful than others.

dfwtinman · Aug 10, 2013

Ambrosia said:
Actually, I am not sure I agree, Tin. Though "honor" would probably not be the word I would choose. Perhaps "heart" would better fit.

You big softie.

So they steal a hundred computer's and return one, and they have heart?

What if one was given to a poor urchin by a mystery benefactor ?

Or one was owned by a little girl on chemo?

Or one was a shut-in's only method of connection with the outside world?

are you seeing a trend in these examples ?

Lol

DancingMaenid · Aug 10, 2013

I would say these thieves have a sense of honor. Having a sense of honor doesn't mean that someone never does anything that other people might see as dishonorable. It means that you have moral limits that you're willing to stand by.

Honor among thieves.

Vince524

Are you gonna finish that bacon?

DeleyanLee

Writing Anarchist

Zoombie

Dragon of the Multiverse

Vince524

Are you gonna finish that bacon?

Williebee

Capeless, wingless, & yet I fly.

dfwtinman

Cubic Zirconia in the rough

missesdash

You can't sit with us!

dfwtinman

Cubic Zirconia in the rough

Ambrosia

Grand Duchess

William Haskins

poet

missesdash

You can't sit with us!

dfwtinman

Cubic Zirconia in the rough

DancingMaenid

New kid...seven years ago!