Alleged Morris tip-jar thief caught on video

MOUNT OLIVE - Someone is stealing bagel shop tip jars in Morris County.

A video of an alleged thief — who appears to be a young woman — grabbing a tip box from the counter and hiding it under a garment she was carrying was shared with police and posted on Facebook by Mount Olive Bagels on Sunday.

SEE UPDATE: Budd Lake woman arrested in tip-box theft http://dailyre.co/1nXwdS0

By Tuesday morning, the post had more than 100 comments and 1,500 shares, and at least two other bagel shops commented on the post by saying the same woman stole their tip jars on Friday.

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"I had no idea it would get out like this," said Maria Kalavriziotis, whose husband owns Mount Olive Bagels, which opened on June 11. "We only posted it to let other people know so it doesn't happen to them."

But two Boonton bagel shops say they believe the same woman stole their tip jars on Friday.

"These people also hit us and at least two other places in Boonton that we know of. Best of luck!" Boonton Bagels and Deli posted on the Mount Olive Bagels Facebook post on Monday.

Tuesday, an employee of Boonton Bagels and Deli on Myrtle Avenue in Boonton confirmed a woman bearing a similar description and clothing to the suspect in Mount Olive stole their tip jar from the counter on Friday, escaping with about $55 to $60 in tips.

"My wife has a sister who works at another bagel shop in Boonton and they called us to say this woman stole theirs," the man said. "She sounded familiar and when we looked for our tip jar, it was gone."

Around the corner on Wootton Street, an employee of Hot Bagels and Deli said Tuesday that a woman wearing a pink shirt and black slacks — similar to the woman in the Mount Olive Bagels video — was suspected of stealing their tip jar, which she estimated held about $60 to $70 in tips.

Kalavriziotis said the Mount Olive theft occurred on Sunday and was discovered as they were closing for the day. After contacting the police, they discovered the theft had been recorded by security cameras.

"We remember her," Kalavriziotis said of the suspect. "She was here a good seven to 10 minutes and didn't buy a thing. She was on the phone the whole time and anytime we asked if she was ready to order, she kept saying she was waiting on a call."

The suspect let other people get in front of her several times, but at one point, she made her way to the counter when no one else was present.

"She waited until we were all doing something, then she took it," Kalavriziotis said.

Kalavriziotis said she estimated the clear plastic tip box had about $20 to $30 inside. Employees who are given tips directly are allowed to keep them, she said. The money deposited in the tip box was being collected to disperse evenly as end-of-the-year bonuses "for the whole crew, out front and in back," she said.

"We just wanted to thank everyone that has shared and posted about this," Mount Olive Bagel posted on Facebook late Monday night. "We have several leads to who it may be and have passed it along to the police department. We never realized that social media could have such a big impact. We hope that if she is caught, that she thinks twice about stealing from anyone. It's not about the money, but about the principle behind the situation. It is never right to take what does not belong to you. We hope that she gets the help that she needs to try and better her life."

Calls to the Mount Olive and Boonton police were not immediately returned on Tuesday.

Staff Writer William Westhoven: 973-428-6627; wwesthoven@dailyrecord.com.