Fundraising tip jar stolen from Port Charlotte restaurant

A man walked into a Charlotte County restaurant and took off with a fundraising tip jar.

The incident happened on Thursday afternoon at the Metro Diner in Port Charlotte, but this isn’t just any tip jar.

The money inside it was going to a beloved worker at Metro Diner, and in moments, that money was taken away by a man who parked his bike, walked through the door and took away a mother’s chance at paying her medical bills after having an emergency C-section for her premature baby.

“Heartbreaking is not strong enough of a word, disappointed in humanity,” said Sandy Millis, a server at Metro Diner.

Heartbroken and disappointed by the actions of one man.

“This gentleman comes in, and he sits down on the bench for a few minutes, then he gets up, takes the jug and runs out the door,” said Karen Yen, managing partner at Metro Diner.

The man is caught on video walking into the diner and sitting there for around 30 minutes before eyeing up the tip jar, snatching it and walking out.

The contents of that jar were going to a worker at that diner, Andrea.

“The way she takes care of all of our team, everybody loves her. She is just such an incredible person and to do something like this to such an incredible person, it just breaks my heart,” said Yen.

Yen told WINK News that Andrea has been trying to have a baby for years now, but it didn’t come easy.

“She had pre-eclampsia, diabetes, nothing was going good for her, and she had to have an emergency C-section, and the baby was born 2-and-a-half months early,” said Yen.

One customer told WINK News she donated $600 in that jar for Andrea to have gas money while driving to Sarasota every day to see her baby in the NICU.

“Very disappointing that someone would do that, but it’s hard times, and you know what if they find the person? Male or female the money is gone,” said Alice Rivers, a regular customer.

The money might be gone, but co-workers say the generosity given through this hard time was unmatched.

“Anything people give when they don’t have, they give instead of keeping. It’s just really beautiful, it really is,” said Millis.

Management at Metro Diner said they are no longer putting out a tip jar after this disappointing experience but will accept cash over the counter for their co-worker.