Thief steals lottery tickets, tries to cash $30 winner, caught on video again

FERNDALE, Mich. (WJBK) - A thief is caught on camera stealing a handful of lottery tickets from a Ferndale gas station but the clerk took quick action to make sure he didn't actually get anything - even if he won.

Al Ahmad was working the register at the BP on 8 Mile near Hilton. He says what happened Sunday evening is disrespectful and disgusting.

"He's a pathetic excuse for a human being! Desperate! Desperate!" Ahmad said. "For some reason, him in particular, I want him caught. I want him caught so bad"

He said Sunday evening, the man walked in and bought a Sprite and some chips and Ahmad said he was acting strange. Then he asked for something far behind the counter, which Ahmad had no choice but to turn his back on the man.

"We try to turn around sideways so we can watch. But eventually I had no choice to turn around because I had to reach around and grab it," he said.

In the seconds he was turned around, the thief snagged 30 scratch off tickets.

"As I turn back around to deal with him, he was acting fishy, a little weird."

Ahmad quickly noticed the missing lotto tickets but says the thief had already taken off. Then he pulled the crystal clear surveillance video.

"His face was right there. He was wearing that Green hat Detroit jacket that says Pelle Pelle on it. Can't wear that jacket no more!"

As it turns out, one of those tickets was a $30 winner and he tried to cash it at another BP gas station on 7 Mile.

"Through surveillance we could see it was the same person who stole that ticket tried to cash it at another BP gas station," Ferndale Police Lt. William Wilson said.

"He tried to cash the tickets but they didn't have time because I cancelled all tickets. We didn't lose nothing, you dummy," Ahmad said.

Ferndale police are confident someone will recognize the thief and nicely ask this man to turn himself in.

Meanwhile, Ahmad just can't wait until he's caught.

"Just a big thief! I hate him. I can't stand him!"