Police say a man stole a jar with about $250 in donations for a cancer charity from a Mesquite restaurant.
Surveillance video shows the man stealing the jar Saturday from the Asian Buffet in the 1200 block of North Town East Boulevard.
"It's terrible," owner Nancy Chen said.
She said the man first walked in at about 10:15 a.m. before the restaurant was officially opened while she was in working in the back.
He can be seen on the video going in and out of the restaurant several times -- even buying a Sprite from Chen's husband -- before sneaking back and grabbing the jar.
"I never see this happen before," Chen said. "I feel ... It's so bad, you know?"
Mesquite police said they believe the man is in his 20s to 30s but do not have any leads.
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Employees at the restaurant told investigators they have seen the man in the area before.
Residents said they were shocked by the theft.
"To do something like that I don't think is human, to be honest," Alex Corado said. "I don't think you have a heart to be to be doing stuff like that."
"I think it's pretty sad that someone would actually do that," he said. "I don't even think in desperation I could something like that."
Linda Perez said the incident is shameful.
"That's awful, it's awful," she said. "He needs to stop and think. That could have helped his child, his grandchild, his sister, brother or whatever. That's awful."
"Make him stand on the corner with a sign that says 'I stole from cancer,'" Perez said.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Mesquite police at 972-216-6600.
"Call the police and get the money back for the kids," Chen said.
