Santino Burrola, formerly an employee at a King Soopers supermarket in Colorado, discovered that his efforts to assist the authorities in capturing criminals led to his termination.

His offense? Recording a theft in action at his place of employment, in a bid to provide evidence to law enforcement.

CBS Colorado reported that upon receiving a tip about an ongoing theft, Burrola immediately began filming the incident with his phone.

The footage shows three perpetrators hastily loading a Chevy Trax vehicle with a cart brimming with stolen laundry detergent in the supermarket’s parking lot.

Addressing the thieves in his video, which later surfaced online thanks to the Arapahoe Sheriff’s Office, Burrola commented, “Really bro you got to resort to this? The economy isn’t that bad.”

Adding to the commotion, the thieves’ hasty escape nearly left behind the bespectacled accomplice, responsible for most of the heavy lifting.

Burrola’s swift thinking led to the unmasking of the vehicle’s license plate, which was originally concealed by foil.

After the thieves exited the parking lot, he dialed 911 and subsequently posted the video on his TikTok account, hoping for public identification of the perpetrators.

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The footage proved instrumental, assisting investigators in promptly identifying and apprehending the driver.

However, Burrola’s commendable actions were not well-received by his employer.

Upon returning to work for his next shift, he was informed of his suspension, which a week later, culminated in his dismissal.

“Me and the union rep sat down with them and they recommended termination,” Burrola shared.

He maintained his stance against criminal behavior, affirming, “I would never let any criminal conduct slide especially when it’s happening right in front of me.”

The King Soopers chain, a subsidiary of Kroger, has established a policy prohibiting employees from intervening in instances of theft, essentially preventing staff from impeding potential thefts.

This policy was confirmed in a statement from the supermarket: “We have security measures in place to help prevent crime and de-escalate such confrontations to minimize the risk to our associates. While we are unable to comment on personnel matters, we value our hardworking associates and their safe return home.”

This incident marks a growing trend of employees losing their jobs as a consequence of proactive anti-theft actions.

Earlier in May, a similar incident occurred in Georgia, where two Lululemon employees were dismissed for confronting mask-wearing robbers.

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