03.04.2008 4:32 pm
Would you have tried to stop the Starbucks thieves?
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
UPDATED: There’s not a lot of setup for this topic. The story is pretty straight-forward — and enough to make anyone heartsick:
CRESTWOOD — The Good Samaritan who was run over by a car while trying to stop thieves from stealing a tip jar from Starbucks has died this morning.
Mary Jo Wich, a spokeswoman for St. Anthony’s Medical Center in south St. Louis County, said Roger Kreutz died about 2 a.m. today.
Would you have tried to stop the tip jar thieves? If you could, would you have any words for the man who did?
Kurt is the director of social media for the Post-Dispatch, where he has worked since August 2002. He's been a journalist since 1982, covering municipal government, courts, education and two hurricanes as a reporter before becoming an editor. 
Cathy - #223 - I agree with you. I also have found it “odd” that everyone seems awfully careful about ID’ing the girl, who as i understand it is even older than Aaron, i think she’s 21 so the argument could be made she should REALLY know better…..yet she recently tried to make off with over SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS worth of merchandise in Ohio, and that is NOT “petty stealing”. That is an actual crime, people. Isn’t the identity of that ype of criminal generally common knowledge?? What is served by protecting this criminal, this thief?
UPDATE - Seems her name is “Lucinda Jerica Ray” according to a PD report on 3-11-08…..what’s even more interesting in that report is just how STUPID these kids seem to be. Jerica seems to be unable to stop herself from stealing followed by lying to police - it’s happened time and again. Imagine all the times she has NOT been caught. Her MO is to give the cops a fake name.
The other sad thing in that article is at the end when Poisson’s father says the fact he went back to face charges in OH (after another theft) tells him his son is trying to be responsible (?!!) ….i presume he said that with a straight face. Yeah, so “responsible” that after getting back here from OH he was stealing from Starbucks within 18 hours.
Clearly he had learned his lesson. Unreal.
Why didn’t the do-gooder help the kids out and give them the $5 they so desperately needed?
That would have averted his death by being driven over by the poor kids.