In an incident that has left the Chesapeake community outraged, a children’s lemonade stand became the target of a brazen thief who made off with $40, leaving behind shocked and heartbroken young entrepreneurs. The unsettling event was captured on home security footage and has since gone viral, drawing widespread attention and support.
A simple summer afternoon turns sour
Rebecca Caldwell, 10, and her younger brother Josh were enjoying a typical summer day last week, selling lemonade in front of their home. The siblings had hoped to raise some money to help their older sister save for a dirt bike. Their plans, however, were abruptly interrupted when a silver Toyota sedan pulled up. The surveillance footage shows a man, appearing to be in his 30s with visible tattoos, exiting the car. Rebecca, assuming he was a customer, began pouring him a glass of lemonade. But in a shocking twist, the man grabbed the jar containing the children’s hard-earned money and fled the scene.
“We already got $40. It seemed pretty good, and then the guy came,” Rebecca recounted to WAVY News. “He acted really nice. He was just saying, like, ‘Nice, y’all are doing a lemonade stand.’ And then he was getting pretty close, but my back was turned so I didn’t really realize.”
Immediate aftermath and community reaction
After the theft, Rebecca and Josh rushed inside to inform their mother, Annetta Caldwell, of the robbery. Annetta immediately contacted Chesapeake police, determined to find the person who could steal from children.
“I just wanted to find out who would do that, because they’re just innocent kids out here, you know, having lemonade stands,” said Annetta Caldwell.
The Caldwell family has hosted multiple lemonade and bake sales in their front yard over the years, but this incident has cast a shadow over what was meant to be a fun and innocent activity. Rebecca and Josh’s father, Ryan Caldwell, expressed that the most painful part of the ordeal was not the loss of money but the damage done to the children’s sense of fun and innocence. “I don’t think it’s really even about the money. They just like doing it and being out here and seeing people,” he told WAVY. “We don’t want that stolen away from them, you know—we want the fun, the innocence, to remain. So that’s probably the worst part—the stolen innocence involved.”
Despite the upsetting experience, Rebecca has chosen to focus on forgiveness. “We want him to become a Christian and have a good life, but we would say not go to jail, more community service, stuff like that,” she said. The Caldwells have been in regular contact with the police since the incident, and authorities are actively investigating the case. “They’ve had a lot of follow-up with us,” Ryan Caldwell noted. “They’ve been communicating well and stuff … they’re very interested in helping and seeing this resolved.”
Community rallies behind the Caldwells
The local community has responded by outpouring support for the Caldwell family. One of Ryan’s colleagues replaced the stolen $40. “There are always good things that can come out of bad situations,” Annetta reflected. Undeterred by the theft, Rebecca and Josh are planning to set up their lemonade stand again this Saturday, determined to reclaim their sense of fun and continue their entrepreneurial endeavors.
