He felt bad stealing art from shop, so he returned it the next day, Michigan cops say

A Michigan man who loved a piece of artwork he saw at a local business decided to take it home with him when he thought no one was looking, police say.

But when police contacted him, saying the theft was recorded on a security camera, he confessed that he “felt very bad” about what he had done, according to a news release from the Chelsea Police Department posted by the Chelsea Update.

Police responded to the theft on Feb. 5, though the incident took place at around 6:20 p.m. on Feb. 4. The complainant told officers that he noticed a framed work of art was missing from one of the business’s walls. While reviewing security footage, he saw a man taking the art off the wall and walking out the door with it, police said.

Police identified the suspect by checking receipts the business had collected that night. The man had used a credit card, and police tracked him down from there, the release said.

When police called the 41-year-old man, he admitted to taking the item and told them he felt “very bad” about it. He agreed to bring the item back to the Chelsea Police Department, the release said.

After getting his property back, the business owner decided not to press charges, police said.

Chelsea is about 60 miles west of Detroit.

This story was originally published February 9, 2022 at 6:20 PM with the headline "He felt bad stealing art from shop, so he returned it the next day, Michigan cops say."