Vietnam Veteran Pleads For Priceless Pin In Stolen Wallet
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
MIAMI (CBSMiami) --A Vietnam veteran is asking for the woman who took his wallet to give back a priceless piece which he said carried him through hard times.
Surveillance video from a Publix in The Hammocks shows a woman finding and then paying with the stolen wallet in hand.
The wallet she used belongs to 69-year old Vietnam veteran David Shupe who had misplaced it in the produce section.
CLICK HERE To Watch MaryAnn Martinez's Report
It's a wallet he says had something priceless inside.
"The most important thing was a little angel pin. Nothing of a lot of value. It was my grandmother's and when she was dying, she put it in my hand and she knew I was going to Vietnam. She said carry this with you and it will keep you safe," said Shupe.
The wallet carried other valuables too.
"I went over to the bank and I got out $3,000 because I'm going to send them to my daughter in North Carolina," said Shupe. "She's eight months pregnant and she doesn't have a checking account."
When Shupe arrived at the Publix to wire the money to his daughter, he said the line was long and he started picking up items for a roast he was going to make.
"I laid my billfold down right beside the onions and then I freaked out because I didn't see the wallet in my hand," said Shupe.
Shupe alerted the store about what he'd lost.
The surveillance cameras captured a woman holding the wallet as the announcement was being made over the store's intercom.
Police say she made no attempt to return it.
In fact, after she's done shopping, the video shows her standing at the check-out lane with the stolen item in her hand and a little girl in the shopping cart.
Shupe said all he wants back is the angel pin that saw him through his days in Vietnam.
"It looked over me and kept me safe. I do know that and it brought me home," said Shupe. "I would just ask that the person have a little heart and return that."
RELATED CONTENT:
