Pumpkin Thief Apologizes for Ruining Boy's Halloween

The great pumpkin mystery has been solved! A little boy whose heart was broken after a thief stole his 100-pound pumpkin got a pre-Halloween treat when the criminal returned it on Sunday with a note, apologizing for his (or her) behavior.

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The note read, "I'm really sorry about taking your pumpkin. It was wrong of me. You earned the pumpkin. I didn't think my actions through nor realize who they were affecting. Sincerest apologies."

More on Yahoo: Thief Writes Apology Note & Returns Money for Robbery 11 Years Later

Jaiden Newcomer, a 9-year-old from York, Pennsylvania had won the gigantic pumpkin on Sept. 28 at an Oktoberfest event in the nearby town of Red Lion, after guessing its correct weight. “He was really excited to bring home the pumpkin, which was so heavy, four people had to help haul it with a wheelbarrow,” Corey Newcomer, Jaiden’s father, told Yahoo Shine.

A week or so later, the pumpkin mysteriously vanished during the night, while Corey was at work and his wife, Amy; their 5-year-old son, Peyton; and Jaiden were all sleeping. “Jaiden didn’t notice it was gone until he returned home from school,” Corey says. “He was inconsolable for 10 minutes, he couldn’t understand why someone would steal from him.”

That day, the family published a letter in the York Daily Record explaining the situation, and offers for a replacement pumpkin began pouring in. A Cumberland County plant nursery gave Jaiden a new giant pumpkin, and Cape Horn Beverage offered the boy a smaller one. “Jaiden said the thieves were ‘stupid jerks,’ but he was happy that so many strangers were helping him,” says Corey.

The family had given up hope until Saturday, when Corey received an anonymous email. “Amy and I were away for the weekend celebrating our 10-year wedding anniversary, but I received a message from a person with an unidentifiable email address, saying that they overheard an acquaintance bragging about stealing our pumpkin,” he says.

Corey and his wife planned on alerting the police but when they returned home on Sunday after picking up Jaiden from baseball practice, the pumpkin was on their doorstep, with a note of apology taped to it. "I was really surprised that the thief returned it," Corey admits. "On the one hand, the gesture shows that this person has somewhat of a conscience, but it's hard to be pleased with someone who stole from a child in the first place."

As for Jaiden: "He and his brother are just thrilled to have their pumpkin back."