Police are looking for a man who stole money from a cancer fundraiser jar from an Edwardsburg pizzeria late last month.
Steve Sapmaz, owner of Papa’s Pizzeria, said a man claiming to be a family member of 4-year-old Joey Poirier, who is fighting brain cancer, came into the restaurant sometime during the week of April 22.
The man said he was there to pick up the money for the Poirier family. He left with $326.
Sapmaz said the man was short, about 5-foot-3, and between 150 and 170 pounds. He was clean-cut with short hair and a goatee.
“I figured it was someone related with the situation,” Sapmaz said.
Poirier, of Elkhart, was diagnosed with brain cancer Jan. 23 and underwent surgery to remove the tumor a few days later. He is currently undergoing chemotherapy.
Poirier’s grandmother is Lisa Smith, of Edwardsburg. Smith is friends with Sapmaz and decided to place a fundraiser jar in the pizzeria for her grandson six weeks ago.
Sapmaz promised to match the donations.
Sapmaz said she learned the money was gone May 5 after calling Sapmaz to say she was coming to pick up the money. That’s when Sapmaz told her a man picked it up earlier in the week.
“I was just sick about it,” Smith said.
The incident was reported to Ontwa Township-Edwardsburg Police Department on May 7.