'We never wanted to steal a child's hope': Porch pirates return 5-yr-old's stolen WWE belt after they learned he was to have brain surgery
A group of porch pirates have returned a stolen package containing WWE belts that were meant for a 5-year-old boy and in doing so, left a heartfelt apology letter following public outcry.
The belts were the property of Timmy Vick, a boy with autism from Delaware, who is in need of surgery to remove a dangerous brain tumor. According to the boy's father Tim Sr., his son takes the wrestling belt with him everywhere and finds comfort in having it by his side when sleeping.
After Timmy' s father reached out to Sergio Moreira, a wrestling belt artist who refurbishes WWE replica belts with metal, leather, cubic zirconia and more, the artist offered to adorn the sick boy’s accessory free of cost.
"When [Timmy’s father] sent me a message and asked me for help, he just was hoping for a discount. I told him to just pay shipping and I would take care of the rest. I felt like it was the right thing to do for Timmy and his family. They have been through so much," the 50-year-old artist was reported saying. Moreira has been restoring WWE replica belts to make them seem real for two years.
The package was delivered to Moreira’s home in Edgewood, Washington, on Monday. While he was ringside at a wrestling event, he was alerted via an app on his phone that two women and a driver had flicked the package from off his front porch.
He posted the sad news to his Facebook page, following which it was shared with the Pierce County Sherrif's Department, who also posted the video asking for the public’s help. “I want them to know they took hope from a 5-year-old boy who is looking forward to that item coming back to him,” Moreira told local news station KIRO7. “You stole that from him. You broke a child’s heart.”
The police, though are happy that the belt has been returned, are now on the lookout for the porch pirates.
Two days later, the same car pulled back into Moreira's driveway and dropped a bag in front of the door along with a four-page note.
"We are so sorry for taking your stuff. Never in a million years would I have expected I would have stolen from a sick five-year-old,” read the apology letter. “I have a 6-year-old myself and am ashamed of what I did.”
Homeless and addicted to drugs, the women explained that they were "trying to make a quick dollar". But after watching the news and realizing what they had done, they decided to amend the situation.
“We never wanted to steal a child’s hope,” read the letter. “After seeing ourselves looking like low lives on the news, we have both decided to get clean and sober.”
The letter was signed "two idiots", and Moreira thanked them for returning the package, and also told them to get help. While Moreira said he isn’t looking to press charges, it might be out of his hands. “They say it might be up to the Pierce County prosecutor,” he told KIRO-TV.
In the meanwhile, Timmy's family is raising money to help offset the cost of medical bills and his upcoming surgery.