A Florida beachgoer says his family's tent canopy, kid's toys and other beach supplies were nearly stolen by two thieves, and they might have gotten away with it ... if he didn't have his camera phone handy.
The video starts with the man walking up to the two women struggling to take down the metal canopy. Then, this happens.
"You need some help?"
"You know how to do it?"
"Yeah, this is our stuff."
"This is yours?!"
"Yes."
"Wait a minute ... this is ours."
"No. It is. This is all ours." (Via YouTube / Flicky Rich)
It happened July 4 at New Smyrna Beach in Florida. After some initial "confusion," one of the women tells the man to stop recording and threatens to put his camera "in the grass." It being a beach means the camera would've had to travel far.
Gawker spoke with the man who says he shot the video and who wanted to be identified by only his first name, Rich. He says he was vacationing with his family when they took his son back for a nap and came back to this sight.
"If I were to judge a book by its cover, theft would not have been my first thought. I honestly thought they were being neighborly because NSB is Mayberry on the beach. I was surprised when they said it was theirs and stuck with the story. ... I thought it was hilarious that this lady that was clearly in the wrong was actually coming at me."
WKMG spoke with local officials who say the women weren't there when authorities arrived. The man and his wife decided not to press charges.
WTVT says if charges were pursued, the women would be facing simple battery and grand theft.
Sounds like Internet shaming was enough punishment. And there has definitely been plenty of that.
One Reddit commenter says, "What a stupid thing to try to steal. On a crowded beach, you're going to try to steal a canopy that you don't even know how to disassemble?"
The awkwardness that follows after they say "This is yours??" is amazing, they don't even know how to respond." Fox News anchors also chimed in.
"Let's get this straight. She's mad that he's filming her stealing his stuff. ... Come on. This is a huge tent. There is no way they thought that was theirs. They were definitely stealing it."
For now, the women's identities remain unknown. Local officials say since the family decided not to press charges, the case is now closed.
