Homeowner turns porch theft into teachable moment in Cobbs Creek

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A Cobbs Creek homeowner chose education over prosecution after a young boy was caught on camera stealing a football from her porch on Wednesday afternoon.

"People were like, 'Oh, I would take it to the police.' I don't want those children locked up, but I did want them reprimanded," said Shaynna Brunswick. "They did something that made me very angry, but I would never forgive myself if something happened to those kids."

Video from a doorbell camera shows the boy approaching the porch and taking the football before running away with a group of other children.

Brunswick watched from inside her home as it happened.

"I saw the boy on the porch and I lost it," Brunswick said.

The footage shows one boy dropping the football as the group runs off, just as Brunswick steps outside seconds later. While upset, Brunswick said the incident was not about the football itself.

"The ball means nothing to me, I couldn't care less about the ball, it was the action, the violation, for somebody to be that comfortable enough to come on your property," she said.

Brunswick posted the video on Facebook and one of the boys' mothers saw the post and reached out.

The following day, video shows the boys returning to Brunswick's home with their mother to apologize. Brunswick used the meeting as an opportunity to speak directly to the boys about their actions.

"You acknowledged my cameras and you hesitated because you knew what you were doing was wrong. Don't be a follower, be a leader. You understand what I'm saying?" she said.

A mother of five herself, Brunswick said she was angry but still cared about what happened to the children and wanted them to learn from the situation.

She said accountability and the involvement of the boys' parents led to the best possible outcome.

"I'm definitely glad they came back, especially for the parents. I find that we don't find a lot of parents that take accountability for their children," Brunswick said. "Hopefully if they ever think about doing something like that again, this situation will replay in their head. It's a learning and a teaching experience for everyone involved."

Brunswick said the boys were wearing school uniforms at the time of the incident, which helped her identify where they attended school.

She contacted the school, and administrators assisted in identifying the boys and notifying their parents.