A brother and sister from southeast Virginia were left heartbroken after a thief stole their hard-earned money while they were running a lemonade stand outside their home. The incident, which took place in Chesapeake, a city about 20 miles southeast of Virginia Beach, was caught on camera and has left the community shocked.
The siblings, 10-year-old Rebecca Caldwell and her brother Josh were running their lemonade stand on August 14 when the day took a sudden turn for the worse. Just before noon, a silver Toyota four-door sedan pulled up near their stand. The man inside the vehicle got out and approached the children, seemingly interested in buying lemonade.
Rebecca recalled the moment to WAVY-TV, saying, “We already got $40. It seemed pretty good, and then the guy came. He acted really nice. He was just saying, like, ‘Nice, y’all are doing a lemonade stand.’ And then he was getting pretty close, but my back was turned so I didn’t really realize.” As Rebecca began to pour the man a glass of lemonade, he quickly snatched their money jar and fled.
The theft was captured on surveillance footage, which shows the suspect casually walking up to the stand, grabbing the jar, and making a quick getaway. The video, now in the hands of the Chesapeake Police Department, is being used to identify the suspect.
Chesapeake Police Department Officer Leo C. Kosinski, whose agency is investigating the case, confirmed that the theft took place just before noon on August 14. He described the suspect as a white man in his 30s, with a goatee and tattoos. At the time of the theft, the man was wearing a hat, a gray T-shirt, a pair of blue or gray shorts, and white tennis shoes.
The children’s parents, Annetta and Josh Caldwell, filed a report with the police after learning of the theft. The family, who were hoping to teach their children the value of hard work and entrepreneurship, were devastated by the incident.
The Chesapeake Police Department is asking anyone with information about the case to contact them at 757-382-6161. The community has rallied around the Caldwell family, expressing outrage over the theft and offering support to the young entrepreneurs.
What started as a sweet summer activity turned into a bitter lesson for Rebecca and Josh, but the community’s response shows that kindness and justice can still prevail, even in the face of such a sour experience.