A grocery store employee in Colorado says he was fired after filming shoplifters stealing about $500 in laundry detergent.
The incident took place at a King Soopers store on Father’s Day.
The former employee, Santino Burrola, said that he was alerted to the ongoing theft, followed them outside, and began to film the crime.
“Sure enough when I looked there was a guy already half-headed out with a cart full of laundry detergent scent boosters what have you,” Burrola told CBS Colorado.
“My first instinct was to record,” Burrola continued.
The employee attempted to reason with the criminals, and can be heard in the video saying, “Really bro? You gotta resort to this? The economy’s not that bad.”
Burrola approached the vehicle and ripped a covering off the license plate so that he could film the number and potentially help police capture them later.
“I just recorded said what I said and got so close to where I was able to rip the tinfoil off the license plate,” said Burrola.
The former employee posted the video online, and it went viral — even being shared by Snoop Dogg.
“So I posted it on TikTok hoping that somebody would recognize them,” said Burrola.
When Burrola went in for his next shift he was informed that he was suspended — and a week later he says that he was fired.
“I and the union rep sat down with them and they [King Soopers] recommended termination and so I got fired that day,” said Burrola.
The store reportedly has a policy against employees intervening in thefts.
“All I did was just record criminals and reveal them!” said Burrola, explaining that he feels he was punished for doing the right thing.
“I would never let any criminal conduct slide especially when it’s happening right in front of me,” said Burrola. “I hope this changes the policy, in the handbook or the shoplifting policy and gives power back to retail workers like myself.”
In a statement about Burrola’s firing, a King Sooper spokesperson told CBS, “We are disappointed by the increased level of crime across retail establishments and the impact these incidents have on our associates and customers. We remain committed to working in partnership with local law enforcement to address this issue, as safety remains a top priority.”
“We have security measures in place to help prevent crime and de-escalate such confrontations to minimize the risk to our associates. While we are unable to comment on personnel matters, we value our hardworking associates and their safe return home,” the statement continued.
Thanks to Burrola’s actions, the thieves were caught.
“Arapahoe County Sheriff’s investigators located the registered owner of the car who said he loaned it to a friend,” CBS reports. “The driver, Jorge Pantoja, 32, the man in the green shirt, was then contacted, arrested and stated he picked up two other males at the Light Rail station at I-25 and Belleview and offered them an opportunity to make some money. The men told the driver their names were Robert and Bugsy. Law enforcement is still trying to locate the other two men. Pantoja is in custody at the Adams County Detention Facility on unrelated felony charges. He has also been charged with a Class 2 Misdemeanor of Theft/Shoplifting.”
