Bernadette Williams hopes the incident inspires others to be engaged community members
NEED TO KNOW
- A woman allegedly tried to steal a package off a South Philadelphia doorstep before an empathetic neighbor intervened
- The neighbor, Bernadette Williams, offered the would-be thief money, telling her, “I love you”
- Williams said all Philadelphians can work to make their communities better
A woman showed compassion after she caught a would-be thief allegedly trying to steal a neighbor's package.
Bernadette Williams told local ABC station WPVI she saw the unidentified woman reaching for the package near her home in South Philadelphia on Friday, March 6.
"You're better than that," she can be heard calling to the woman in a doorbell camera video, shared by the station. "Get some help. You're better than that. I love you. God loves you."
In the video, Williams appeared to be initially on guard when she spotted a woman who was shielding her face with a blue windbreaker and carrying a tote bag, gearing up to take a package off a neighbor's porch across the street.
"What are you doing? Put that back! Put that back!" Williams could be heard saying.
But after the would-be thief embarrassedly dropped the package, Williams extended her kindness rather than reproach, explaining to WPVI that she gave the woman all the money she had in her pockets.
"I'll give you some money," Williams told the woman, according to the video. "Here's $7, here's $7."
"She started realizing 'I am somebody,' " Williams told WPVI. "She started realizing that 'There is somebody out here that cares.' "
In the video, the would-be thief can be heard faintly apologizing — and thanking Williams for her kindness.
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"Let's hope that all Philadelphians would say we are a part of our community and we can make our community better," Williams told the station.
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