Salvation Army bell ringer broke open kettle, stole cash

FRIENDSWOOD, TX (KTRK) -- A Salvation Army bell ringer broke open a kettle and stole the cash at a store near Friendswood Monday, according to the charity.

A spokeswoman for the Salvation Army said the employee soliciting donations in front of a Sam's Club on El Dorado Blvd. stole the cash and ran away. He was later caught and fired.

Major David Feeser said the incident lets him know the employee may have needed help.

"There's something else going on in this worker's life that we really need to be helping him with," Feeser said. "We're helping 20,000 kids at Christmas time, but now we've got another person who's right here, we see every day , we're spending hours with that we need to get to know better."

Customers want the employee to face charges.

"They have no feeling or compassion or anything for anybody," Beverly Bradley said.

A spokeswoman for the charity said they are working closely with the Houston Police Department, but she could not say yet whether or not charges have been filed.

Major Feeser said bell ringers are seasonal workers, typically earning about $8 dollars per hour. He also said all employees submit to background checks.