Heroic SoBe Waiter Serves Up More Than Food
MIAMI BEACH – (CBSMiami.com) – A News Café waiter did more than just serve up dishes and take orders on what was supposed to be a routine Sunday night. Police say waiter Lee Traczyk acted heroically when he ran after a man who was attempting to steal a money bag from the restaurant's gift shop.
The alleged perpetrator 53-year-old Daniel Jones walked through the gift shop's front door on the 800 block of Ocean Drive at about 10:20 p.m. and according to police removed a blue leather money pouch filled with $336.00.
A waitress walked in and noticed that Jones was holding the money bag. Jones tried to hide, but couldn't get far. The waitress confronted him and asked for help from another waiter. That's when Jones allegedly ran away, but Traczyk decided to follow him, while calling police.
Police caught up with the suspect and the heroic waiter two blocks north on 10th an Ocean Drive where Jones was immediately arrested. The money was found and marked as stolen.
Jones allegedly refused to give police a statement. However, Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Jorge Cueto had something to say to Jones about the crime: "At the News Cafe, they make really good French toast, why would you do that?"
Cueto then ordered him held on a $6,500 bond.
