Cafe owner, Varun Chada, was shocked when he discovered that his truck had been stolen right out from under his nose.
It was mid-afternoon and he had just finished work. After realizing that he had forgotten something, he quickly ran back inside the restaurant, leaving his truck parked right out front.
When he returned less than five minutes later, his truck was gone.
But apparently, not everything that's stolen is lost.
In something right out of the Twilight Zone, the truck mysteriously reappeared four days later, in the EXACT SAME SPOT.
And inside? Was a note.
The Bizarre Case of the Stolen Truck
After discovering it missing, Chada immediately reported the theft to the police and then did what one does these days, posted about it on social media.
Alongside a picture of the truck and a fuzzy photo of the alleged perpetrator taken off of a neighbor's security camera, the caption read: "Varun's truck was stolen from outside the shop about an hour ago! If anyone has seen it please let us know when and where."
Despite many of his customers sharing the post and even going out looking for the truck, Chada didn't hold out much hope. And as days passed, things weren't looking so good.
But then, four days later, the truck reappeared; parked in the same spot, almost as though it had never left.
Chada thought he was going crazy. "I couldn't believe it," he told the New Zealand Herald. "The first time I thought I was losing my mind because I'd just walked inside and the second time, I rocked up and it was parked there."
The Note the Thief Left Behind
The truck didn't come back empty-handed. Inside, the thief left an apology note and a couple of brand-new toys for Chada's young son. (Because karma is REAL).
It seems that the day the thief stole Chada's truck he had too much to drink and needed a ride home. Instead of calling an Uber, he stole a truck. Which, in hindsight, was a really, really bad idea.
To try to make things right, the thief returned the truck exactly where he found it. It was no worse for wear and only missing a quarter tank of gas and the license plates.
In a Facebook update, Chada shared a picture of the note which read (complete with spelling mistakes):
"Hey man, brought your truck back, sorry mate was drunk and needed a ride home. Left your keys locked in truck. Here a lil something for your baby. Thak you and sori."
While other people might have a hard time accepting the apology, Chada was just "stoked" to get his truck back and doesn't seem to harbor any ill feelings towards the thief.
"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."
Varun Chada via Focus
As for the police? They're not quite so forgiving. The investigation is still ongoing.
Doing the Right Thing
Obviously, stealing is wrong. And it appears that in this particular case, the thief regretted his actions and wanted to make amends. Or, he was just really afraid of getting caught. Either way, what matters is that he did the right thing in the end.
Everyone makes mistakes, it's part of being human. But despite the fact that mistakes are such an integral part of our human experience, it isn't always easy to go back to the "scene of a crime" and rectify the mistakes we've made.
For this thief, whoever he is, he returned to the scene of his crime, literally. And while he didn't go so far as to admit his identity, he did do everything he could to right his wrongdoing. And that, at least, should be commended.
Ultimately, what matters most is not just the mistakes we make, but how we choose to address them.
More from Goalcast:
Military Dad Defends His 4 Little Daughters When Strangers Make This Rude Remark