Video: Man steals money jar from Virginia kids’ lemonade stand

CHESAPEAKE, Va. ( WAVY ) — A sweet day turned sour for two Virginia siblings whose money jar was stolen while they were selling lemonade, and it was caught on video.

In surveillance video, a car slowly approaches the two children in Chesapeake, after which a man gets out. Rebecca Caldwell, a 10-year-old, told NewsNation affiliate WAVY that as she started to pour the man lemonade, he quickly grabbed the jar with their money and ran off.

“We already got $40. It seemed pretty good, and then the guy came,” Rebecca said. “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.”

Rebecca and her younger brother Josh Caldwell can be seen on the video running inside to tell their mom they had been robbed.

“I just wanted to find out who would do that, because they’re just innocent kids out here, you know, having lemonade stands,” said their mother, Annetta Caldwell.

The two have held lemonade stands and bake sales outside their house in the past and thought this time would be no different.

“It was like a hot summer day, so I thought it would be nice for people to have lemonade,” said Rebecca.

Their dad, Ryan Caldwell, said it’s become a lesson about forgiveness rather than loss.

“I don’t think it’s really even about the money,” he said. “They just like doing it and being out here and seeing people. We don’t want that stolen away from them, you know, we want the fun, the innocence, to remain. So that’s probably the worst part — the stolen innocence involved.”

The Caldwells realize they may not get the $40 back, but they do want to find a solution or even get a chance to speak to the thief.

“I don’t know if we should talk to him, part of me wants some answers,” said Annetta Caldwell.

Rebecca also said forgiveness is key.

“We want him to become a Christian and have a good life, but we would say not go to jail, more community service, stuff like that,” she said.

The parents said they filed a police report. When police arrived, they talked to Rebecca and Josh. WAVY reached out to Chesapeake police for confirmation but did not immediately hear back.

“They’ve had a lot of follow-up with us,” Ryan Caldwell said. “They’ve been communicating well and stuff. So they’re, they’re very interested in helping and seeing this resolve.”

Rebecca and Josh are not letting a thief stop them from selling more lemonade. They plan to hold another lemonade stand on Saturday, Aug. 24.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation.