Shocking viral video captured a brazen teenage thief swiping a veteran Chicago street performer’s donation box filled with cash in broad daylight on one of the city’s busiest corners.
Singer Andrew David was busking Ed Sheeran’s hit “Perfect” in front of the One North State building in Chicago’s business district on Monday afternoon when the teenager approached his setup.
The teen, wearing a gray hoodie and a black face mask, waited for the right moment before he grabbed the tip box filled with cash collected from passersby and fled down the street.
“Apparently it’s one of those days,” David titled the video, which has nearly 3 million views on Instagram
David, who has been performing on the street for about 10 years, told Fox 32 it wasn’t his first time being robbed on the job.
He said losing the donation box itself stung more than the roughly $100 in cash inside it he had made that day.
“Right after he picked up the box… I grabbed my microphone and said, ‘Could you at least bring the box back?’” he said. “I wasn’t gonna chase down a kid.”
A good Samaritan returned the box shortly after the funds were stolen.
David later rewatched the video of the moments before he was robbed, discovering that the teen had been lurking around the area for about 10 minutes before making his move.
“They had kind of already walked by when they got out of school and made some comments, but nothing happened then,” he told CBS Chicago.
David posted the footage online, where it quickly spread across social media and led officials at a nearby high school to identify the teenager.
The school’s principal reached out to David to make amends, then met with him the next morning to return the money.
“She gave me a tour of the school and highlighted all the resources that the kids have,” David said.
The teen’s mother also reached out to personally apologize, making clear the theft was “not the type of behavior she expects from her son.”
David said he has no plans to seek criminal charges against the teen, but hopes the experience serves as a meaningful lesson.
“I just hope that all this attention and, like, social media, like, can just make it a learning experience for him,” David said.
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