“It's Like a Reverse Robin Hood Situation”: Donations for Non-Profit Organization Stolen in San Jose

Donations meant for the non-profit organization Hope Services were reportedly stolen from a San Jose neighborhood.

Video from a surveillance camera show a man hopping out of a black van picking up the donations last week. A neighbor noticed the black van picking up the bags, which prompted resident Aaron Carr to check his surveillance video.

Carr said he had scheduled a pick up for last Monday morning, and when the bag was gone he figured the donation was picked up. It was not until Carr received an alert form his neighbor on the online community Next Door that he realized his donations may have been stolen.

Hope Services, an organizations that supports people with disabilities, said donations are always picked up in a marked van. Carr said his surveillance video shows a black Dodge Caravan taking people's donations and speeding off.

"It's like a reverse Robin Hood situation," Carr said. "They are stealing from the poor to make themselves rich. It's sad."

Hope Services calls the theft disheartening and said the organization depends on generosity from the community. Carr said he will continue to support the nonprofit's cause, but said next time he will drop off the donations in person.

"I was really disappointed," he said. "Unfortunately, that's the society we live in."

Police said they have not received any reports of similar crimes.

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