A captured image from security cameras of the charity box thief at Al-Basha Subs in Dearborn Heights. He appears to hide the box under a towel or shirt. Photo courtesy of Al-Basha Subs

DEARBORN - According to Hassan Sobh, the president of Al-Mabarrat charity, for months now thieves have been going around businesses in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights and stealing small charity donation boxes. “This has been happening for the last couple months. We believe it’s more than one individual,” Sobh said.  One of the latest incidents occurred at Al-Basha Subs in Dearborn Heights, when a man walked in with an item that appeared to be a white shirt or towel on his shoulder, grabbed the Al-Mabarrat charity box which was seated next to a Sadr Foundation donation box and placed it under the clothing item before he drove off. 

Similar incidents have occurred at other Arab owned businesses in the area, but Al-Basha Subs was the first to provide a tape featuring one of the thieves in the process. 

He drove off in a vehicle that appears to be a 2005-2008 Honda Civic. Detectives are working on the case. Sobh says oftentimes businesses have the boxes chained down, which help prevent such incidents. Al-Mabarrat charity has never experienced anything similar to this before. If you have any information contact the Dearborn or Dearborn Heights police departments.