Man caught on camera stealing money jar from St. Clair Shores restaurant

ST. CLAIRE SHORES, Mich. (FOX 2) - There is no good time to have all your tips stolen, especially when you’re trying to recoup from the holidays, and even worse, on the first day of the new year.

El Charro Manager Florida Shonk was working a slow New Year’s Day shift at their location in St. Clair Shores. Around 2 p.m., she says, a guy caught on video slips in and slips out with their tip jar.

She didn’t realize what he’d taken until it was too late.

"3 o'clock I went to go count the tips and then there was no tip jar," said Shonk.

She says she guesses around $20 was in there, not enough to retire on, but still.

"We work for those tips and for some guy to just come in and steal it, it's like what are we working for," said Shonk.

They're used to seeing the same faces, but the man who walked in isn’t one she recognized but hopes someone will.

"We just like to ask him why, like what do you get out of stealing from small businesses," said Shonk.

Not the best way to start 2025, but they’re making sure it won’t happen again.

"Yeah, we don’t have our tip jar in the front anymore, we keep it in the back," said Shonk.

When asked if they still accepted tips, they replied yes. 

Employees did make a report with St. Clair Shores Police. If somebody knows something, pass any tips to the police.