A day after Montreal police posted a video of a burger bar arson in progress, a restaurant in Quebec City has summoned thousands of social media followers to help nab a thief who stole an employee's smartphone — all under the watchful gaze of a security camera. Since Charbon Steakhouse published the video yesterday, the clip has been viewed more than 73,000 times, and shared more than 2,000 times. In it, a man lingers at the restaurant's reception desk, looks around, pockets the mobile device, and walks away. "THIEF! Look closely at this video of an individual stealing the cell phone of our poor receptionist," wrote Charbon's management.
The restaurant's call to help identify the culprit yielded immediate results. Though the thief has yet to be apprehended, a tipster quickly responded to Charbon's plea with this: "Look in the Gare du Palais [Quebec City's central rail and bus terminal], he's there almost every day to use the Wi-Fi."
Some restaurants employ more creative methods to shame and track down robbers caught on camera. Last December a taco restaurant made YouTube stars out of a couple of burglars. Then, of course, there are the habitual gunplay shenanigans captured on video at American fast food franchises.
Update: The culprit has been apprehended. Charbon's management: “THANKS EVERYONE! The train station security guard caught the man this morning. Like many of you said, he was still around.”