Submitted by throwaway2089 in axolotl

I'm in Texas. I went to a furniture store (about 20 miles away from me) the other day and saw that what looked like a storage closet door was propped open with a box. I walked in, turned on my phone's flashlight, and saw a bunch of computers, tablets, hard drives, projectors, and other electronics. Some were in a random shopping cart, and the rest were just placed on a desk-height shelf thing on the left of the room. They seemed to be old ones that they previously used for the store and were no longer in need of, but I'm not sure. Anyways, I got excited and grabbed the aforementioned computer, tablet, and hard drive and walked out. Then I walked around the store for a bit longer with my girlfriend, looking around at things and just generally perusing the showroom floor and then we walked to the front past the registers and looked at their candy and then walked out.

Once the adrenaline cooled off I began to feel really stupid and scared and so I looked up the value of the products and it's over $1000, which I completely did not expect and did not want. Honestly I don't even really want the products, I was just so ridiculously bored and it seemed fun.

I'm also not sure if that closet place had a security camera, but I'm super scared that it does, even though I pointed my flashlight up at the ceiling and did not see anything (the ceiling was super high, like 20 feet or so). I don't see any reason for a storage closet connected only to the restroom to have a camera either, because it was probably made for cleaning equipment and cameras are installed pretty much during the construction of the building (I'd think), but it was full of electronics, so that could make a difference.

The thing is, if they do have a camera in there, wouldn't they have seen my flashlight moving around and illuminating the closet a bunch and then realize someone was in there and send security to get me before I got out of the store? I was in the closet for quite a while too, probably around 3-4 minutes or so because I was just looking at the stuff at first lol and then I was in the store for maybe 15-20 minutes longer afterwards, which is more than enough time for security to come and bust me I'd think. Again, this big closet was in the restroom and I didn't see any other access points. When I walked in I fully expected to see random cleaning equipment, which again, I was so bored that even that would be interesting.

I really don't want a record and I am such a dumbass for taking those things in the first place, it just seemed fun and exciting in the moment. Is there anything I can do, like returning the items or something to get rid of, or at least reduce my risk of getting caught and convicted? Or do you think I'm in the clear? I want to give the items back, because I have no need or want for them, but I don't want to have that get me in trouble when I could be fine. Even mailing in the items could call to the store's attention that they're missing and get me in trouble (they store footage for 90 days).

I don't want them to realize what they're missing and check the cameras and catch me. I genuinely thought I was walking out with relatively useless shit that was going to get thrown away and now I feel guilty and scared to the point that my stomach physically hurts.

I don't think I can just walk in and talk to the manager about it without getting the police called on me, or else I 100% would. I don't want the things, I don't even want the money from selling the things (I'd feel terrible spending it), and I also just don't want to steal high value tools from a company, just old junk they didn't need.

Thanks again for any advice you can give me.

1

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.