Elderly man caught stealing food from Zoetermeer supermarket

An 80-year-old man who stole 17.75 euros worth of food from a supermarket in Zoetermeer this weekend said he also committed the crime for his neighbors. Community police officer Rob Doorneveld said so after he posted about the theft on social media on Saturday. When he was arrested, the man said that he struggled to get by on his state pension.

The post created a lot of buzz on social media, with some people wanting to offer the man groceries, according to Doorneveld who visited him on Sunday.

The public's response moved the man, wrote Doorneveld. "The gentleman is grateful for all well-intentioned donations and bags full of groceries, but he indicated that he did not want to use them. According to the gentleman, there are people who could use the groceries more than him."

The police officer said that he called in help for the man. The 80-year-old was reprimanded for the theft.