The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is Norman Castillo. He has been charged with stealing a collection jar from a veteran who was collecting for the VFW. The jar was believed to have around $1,000 in it at the time of the theft. The loss was made up after this story got publicity last week, and contributors donated more than double the loss.

That doesn't exonerate Mr. Castillo from his crime. For stealing charitable money, Norman Castillo is today's Knucklehead of the day.

Open Post- Basil's Blog, Bright & Early, Jo's Cafe, Mudville Gazette, Cao's Blog,

A Coconut Creek man was charged Monday with stealing a donation jar containing $1,000 from a veteran who was raising money for the Veterans of Foreign Wars outside a suburban Boca Raton Wal-Mart.

Norman Castillo, 18, of Coconut Creek was charged with grand theft and taken to the Palm Beach County Jail Monday afternoon. He allegedly used the money to buy clothes and speakers for his girlfriend's car, investigators said.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office identified Castillo as a suspect Monday morning, when an anonymous tipster gave them license plate information for a car that they later learned belonged to Castillo's girlfriend, Jessi Goldfinger, 17.

Investigators found her driving a few blocks from her suburban Boca Raton home, with Castillo in the passenger seat. Both confessed to their involvement in the May 27 incident, investigators said.

Goldfinger told investigators that Castillo told her to park on the side of the Wal-Mart to wait for him and that he ran back to the car carrying the jar and told her to drive.

Goldfinger said she did not report the theft because she did not want to get into trouble, according to an arrest report sheriff's investigators filed. She was not charged.

Cross Posted to Bullwinkle Blog