Photo: A security camera video screenshot from the 7-Eleven store in Toledo, OH, where owner Jitendra Singh happily provided the teen with food after he learned the young man was stealing to feed himself and his younger brother.
A 7-Eleven store owner in Toledo, Ohio is receiving praise after he confronted a hungry thief with kindness rather than coldness, an act that has resonated with thousands across the country.
Jitendra Singh said an employee alerted him to a “suspicious” shopper with sticky fingers at his Toledo convenience store. From his office, Singh watched via the store’s surveillance cameras as the teen slipped items including gum, candies and snack cakes into his pocket.
Jitendra “Jay” Singh told WTVG that he confronted the teen with a question: “Do you want me to call the cops or will you take it out?”
The teen’s response was the furthest thing from what he expected to hear.
“He said, ‘I’m stealing for myself. I’m hungry, and I’m doing it for my younger brother,'” said Singh, who has owned the store for nearly five years.
Singh knew at that moment that he was going to help him. Instead of turning to the authorities, he told the teenager to pick up some food, including pizza and sandwiches, WTVG reported.
“It’s not going to make any difference to me if I give him some food because we make a lot of food, we sell a lot of food,” Singh told the outlet. “If he goes to jail then he’s definitely not going to do anything good in life.”
Cedric Bishop, who was at the store during this exchange, went on Facebook to talk about witnessing the moment.
“The cashier had the 911 operator on the phone,” Bishop wrote. “The owner told her to hang up. He went and started putting chicken drummies, sausage rolls, and a whole pizza and gave him a 2 liter. I thought that was an amazing thing the owner did. I was so touched I gave the young man $10.”
He added, “Some young people just need to know that someone cares.”
Bishop’s post has since been shared by over 3,400 people.
Singh’s wife of nearly 30 years, Neera Singh, told WTVG, “I’m really proud of him and it is the true self of himself. I know him, he’s very kind.”
She said that being part of the community means “it is a part of our job” to give back.
Singh said he had no idea his good deed would touch so many people. He explained that in Indian culture, giving food to the hungry is considered a deed that God will bless you for in the future.
“Customers are now coming back and saying, ‘You’re a good guy and you did a good thing,'” he said. “For me, it was not a big deal. … I did what any normal human being would’ve done in that situation.
