Watchout for Karma-Kettle Thief May Be Dead

December 6, 2005 B. John 176 Views Crime, karma, kettle, kettles, salvation army, stolen car, theif

According to a report in the Tampa Tribune, a man suspected of stealing four Salvation Army Kettles (and trying to steal a couple others), may be the dead driver of a stolen Buick found overturned in four feet of brackish water in West Tampa. While I don’t wish this fate on anyone, and take no glee in this guy’s death, it would seem to karma balancing out the world.

Lee J. George, 41, faced an attempted strong-arm robbery charge for trying to take a kettle from Carliemar White outside a Publix Super Market on Nov. 28, police said. White, 69, held on to the donations pot.

Three hours earlier, a man swiped a kettle outside a Winn-Dixie, police said. In all, a thief has taken or tried to take kettles five times – twice at a Wal-Mart on U.S. 19 in Pinellas Park and three times at Publix or Winn-Dixie supermarkets in St. Petersburg. The robberies occurred from Nov. 28 to Saturday.

Bell-ringer Sarah Clausen, 78, told News Channel 8 that she secured her kettle to its tripod with tape, but that only forced the culprit on Saturday to haul the whole setup to his getaway car, a green Buick Century.

B. John

Records and Content Management consultant who enjoys good stories and good discussion. I have a great deal of interest in politics, religion, technology, gadgets, food and movies, but I enjoy most any topic. I grew up in Kings Mountain, a small N.C. town, graduated from Appalachian State University and have lived in Atlanta, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Dayton and Tampa since then.