CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — After seeing a report on Channel 2 Action News of a thief ripping a tablet out of a 4-year-old's hands, a Fayetteville man gave the boy a brand-new tablet.
Geoffrey Christian told Channel 2’s Kimberly Richardson that he was outraged and sad when he saw surveillance video of the boy playing on his tablet and his brother reading a book when a man walked up, grabbed the tablet and ran out the door.
Mother Tamara Nolan said she and her two children were at the First Coin Laundry on Tara Boulevard Sunday afternoon when the tablet was stolen.
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Christian told Richardson that he had just purchased some tablets for his daughters and couldn’t imagine someone doing that to them.
“I bought their tablets for the new 'Pokemon Go' craze,” Christian said. “It makes them so happy, and I just couldn’t imagine it happening to them.”
Christian contacted Channel 2 Action News and was able to get in touch with Nolan.
“She was absolutely overwhelmed with joy,” Christian said. " It was just so important to me to do this because these tablets are tools to help you learn."
Christian and Nolan met Tuesday morning at the Pavilion Shopping Center for the tablet handoff.
"I just didn't want to see his innocence taken away," Christian said. "I will not stand for that."
The man who snatched the tablet went back to the First Coin Laundry and returned the tablet on Tuesday after seeing the report on Channel 2.
The owner of the laundromat called Channel 2's Tom Jones and said the suspect came there and dropped the tablet off and took off.
Jones called the mother and told her that the tablet was there and was there when she came to pick it up.
“I'm not sure if he did it on his own with a change of heart or if his family persuaded him to do the right thing,” Nolan said.
Nolan said the brazen theft traumatized her son.
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“It really hurt my son he kept asking, 'Mommy, mommy am I gonna get my tablet back?'” Nolan said.
Cameron's mother thinks the thief saw himself on Channel 2 and knew he had to right his wrong.
“As soon as it was aired that very night or the next morning whenever it was he turned it in,” Nolan said.
Nolan said her son will be happy to get his tablet back.
And she has this message for the thief: “I just want to continue to pray for you and just hope that you do better in the future to not ever do this again and do the right thing."
Even though the thief brought the tablet back, police are continuing to investigate the case.