Santino Burrola, a grocery store employee at King Soopers in Colorado, was fired after filming a group of thieves stealing hundreds of dollars worth of laundry items and posting the video on TikTok. Burrola claimed that he was following a direct order from his supervisor to get the license plate of the thieves' vehicle for evidence.
In the viral video, Burrola can be heard taunting the thieves as they struggled to load the stolen products into their car. He quickly removed a tin foil sheet covering the rear license plate, capturing its numbers before the thieves sped away. Burrola then called the police and shared the video with them.
Despite his actions aiding the investigation and leading to the arrest of the getaway driver, Burrola was suspended from his job the day after the incident and later fired. The Kroger Company, the parent company of King Soopers, has a policy against employees chasing thieves or intervening in thefts.
Burrola's quick thinking and video footage were praised by the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office, as they credited it with helping to apprehend the driver swiftly. The registered owner of the vehicle was contacted, and the driver, Jorge Pantoja, was arrested and charged with theft and shoplifting. The other two suspects are still being pursued by authorities.
Burrola's termination has sparked controversy, with supporters arguing that he should not have been punished for his actions. His family set up a GoFundMe campaign to help him recover lost wages, as he was not given severance pay and had planned to move to Florida to be closer to family.
Burrola mentioned that he is considering hiring a lawyer but did not provide further details. The situation surrounding his termination and potential legal action is currently unfolding.
