An ex-waitress anonymously sent a $1,000 apology to her former employer last week after admitted to stealing the money from the family-owned Arizona business in the 1990s.
Carlotta Flores, the owner of El Charro Mexican Restaurant in Tucson, said she was surprised to learn of the letter that came stuffed with $100 bills totaling $1,000 last Friday, KVOA-TV reported.
"Friday night I received a call from one of my sons and he says mom you have to come downtown you have an envelope here and I've gone ahead and opened it and he says you're going to be greatly surprised," Flores told the local station.
The cash came with a handwritten note.
"I worked for you as a waitress very briefly back in the 1990s, while a student at (University of Arizona)," the letter, which was posted to Facebook, read. "One of the waiters I worked with had encouraged me to 'forget' to ring in a few drinks a shift and pocket the cash. And for some stupid reason, I did it. I grew up in the church, I knew better. I hadn't stolen a dime before then, nor have I since. Thankfully, I was a terrible waitress and you all fired me before it could amount to more than a few hundred dollars total."
"It's been 20 years, but I still carry great remorse. I am very sorry that I stole from you. Please accept my apology + this money as a repayment + 20 years of interest. May God forever bless you + your family. —A Thankful Former Employee," the note concluded.
Flores said the letter emotionally moved a few of her employees.
"Some of my managers read the letter and they actually had tears in their eyes because they know that there's very long days and food has a very little profit margin on it," Flores told KVOA-TV.
After a tough week, Flores told the television station the letter is the kind of thing that restores her hope.
"I had my purse stolen and this sort of renewed the faith that we had a lot of good people out there," she said. "I don't know where she's at or who she is but I will tell you one thing. I hope that she's read or has seen what an impact this has made not only on me, my family, my business but where it will go in the future so I hope she keeps looking to see what we're doing with it."
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