A guilt-stricken thief has returned two stolen Christmas lights to a family with a handwritten apology note after he was captured on surveillance video and shamed on social media.
Surveillance cameras captured the man Saturday night as he snuck onto the Staten Island family's yard and yanked the two lights out of the ground.
The footage was posted on Facebook by Community Education Council 31 President Mike Reilly, and viewed more than 120,000 times.
"There is no fun in being the grinch, you're going to ruin someone's holiday," Reilly said.
By Tuesday, the thief had seen the post and returned the lights with a handwritten note.
"I want to humbly apologize for stealing your lights," the note reads.
"I am not that person you see on the video, I was not thinking when I did it. I hope you have a nice holiday."
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The man said it would be the first and last time he stole lights.
Meanwhile, around the corner another Christmas display had been swiped. There was no indication whether the same person was behind the theft.
Holiday decoration and package thefts typically spike around this time, the Staten Island Advance reports. Last year, almost $800 worth of Christmas lights were stolen from a New Dorp home and "Star Shower" lights were taken from a Willowbrook home.
