The man was seen breaking into the shop and leaving with the Pieta house donation bucket
CCTV picture of the man inside the ice cream shop after closing
An ice cream shop in East Cork has thanked its customers after they helped identify a thief who broke in and stole a charity box. The man was captured on CCTV snatching the Pieta donation box off the counter before fleeing – and thanks to the power of social media, he has been tracked down.
Scoops Gelato in Cobh took to social media yesterday to share the disheartening news that a man had entered the shop after closing and a Pieta charity bucket had been stolen – just days after the mental health charity’s annual Darkness into Light fundraiser. The ice cream shop, known as the ‘home of the hot ice cream doughnut,’ said staff were “heartbroken” by the incident.
Staff of the funky waterfront ice cream shop took to social media to ask for help to identify the thief, sharing stills from the CCTV. They explained he was seen ‘breaking in’ to the popular ice cream parlour and said they were “heartbroken as he has also taken our Pieta box.”
The post got a huge reaction and was shared over 300 times, and in an update last night, Scoops Gelato posted a heartfelt thank-you message after the thief was identified. They said: “Thank you for supporting local businesses and for helping us through a very upsetting situation. We appreciate every single one of you more than words can say.”
The shop staff were “overwhelmed” by the huge support from their customers. They said: “Because of your help, the man responsible has now been found. We were honestly overwhelmed by how many people reached out and stood behind us. It reminded us that Scoops is more than just a shop — it’s part of an amazing community full of good people who genuinely care.”