A thief in Independence not only returns a stolen package but apologizes and leaves a gift in return. Independence Police were dispatched to a home, where the caller reported that someone had stolen a package off their porch.

The investigating officer identified the thief from the homeowner’s video surveillance system. An officer visited the suspect’s home and left a message indicating there was enough evidence that the suspect could risk spending Christmas in jail.

Police later learned that the package contained a crockpot and was returned in time for Christmas. Along with the package, the thief left a note apologizing for their misdeed along with a Christmas gift for the victim. The victim then gave the suspect the gift of freedom and dropped the charges.