Man in ‘I Believe’ hat swipes $250, tip jar on Christmas Day

Police in Philadelphia are looking for a thief who sported a hat that said “I Believe” as he swiped a tip jar stuffed with $250 on Christmas Day. Yalli Avitan at first thought an employee had moved the jar to empty it during the Christmas dinner rush at her family’s Kosher takeout, the Judah Mediterranean Grill.

Surveillance video told her otherwise. The video showed an unidentified man pretending to read a menu before walking out with the jar.

Avitan, 39, said it’s about more than the money.

“When I realized what happened, I was hurt,” Avitan told The Philadelphia Inquirer. “Especially on Christmas Day, when people are putting in hours that they could be spending with their families.”

Her father, Judah Avitan, who had moved to Philadelphia from Jerusalem, opened the restaurant in the city’s Bustleton section a decade ago. The daughter took over a few years ago.

Police are investigating, and the video has given them some leads.

“I hope he sees this and says, ‘What a fool I’ve been,’” Avitan said. “Maybe he’ll think twice before doing something like this again.”