Thief Returns Stolen Truck with an Apology Note and Toys For The Owner’s Son

Car theft is a serious crime that, in many cases, doesn’t have a happy ending. Sometimes a thief sells the car on the black market, wrecks it, or just completely disappears. But one auto theft in New Zealand actually has an unexpected happy ending.

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Varun Chada, the owner of the Kati Street café in Auckland, New Zealand, was closing up after a long day of work. As he got in his truck to drive home, he realized he left something inside the café. Leaving the truck running, he went inside the business. But by the time he returned, it was gone.

The Wholesome Thief

Shocked by how quickly the thief sprung at the opportunity, Chada shared details on the theft, along with security camera screenshots to the Kati Street Facebook page. But what Chada did not expect was to see the truck reappear in the exact same parking spot four days later. “The first time I thought I was losing my mind because I’d just walked inside,” Chada told the New Zealand Herald. “And the second time I rocked up and it was parked there.”

Chada couldn’t believe he’d expect the thief to return the vehicle so promptly, as well as in good condition. “[There was] no damage to the car,” Chada said. “They took the tent off but they put the tent back on. They could have stolen the tent and some other stuff but it’s all in there.”

Was There Damage to the Truck?

Minus the missing license plates and a quarter tank of gas used up, Chada received his truck back unscathed. The thief even wrote Chada an apology letter from the thief on the truck, along with some toys for his son.

In the letter, the thief apologized to Chada for “borrowing” the truck, claiming that they were intoxicated and needed a ride home.

“I’m not condoning what they did is fine, but I mean, they gave it back and they said sorry so, I don’t know, I’m just stoked to get it back, put it that way,” said Chada.

While no harm was done to Chada’s property, and the thief did say “sorry” for stealing the truck, local police are still on the lookout for the offender responsible. Going forward, Chada learned his lesson of exiting his vehicle while it was still running. Should it get stolen again, the thief may not bring it back next time.