Someone Threw Used Coffee Cups on This Couple’s Front Yard for 3 Years — They Finally Got an Apology

An elderly couple in Lake View, New York, faced a peculiar problem for three years: Nearly every night, someone would drive by their home and throw a McDonald’s coffee cup on their front lawn. A year after the perpetrator was apprehended, the couple finally received the closure they desired: a refund of the money they spent trying to identify him and an apology.

The bizarre plight of Edward and Cheryl Patton gained national attention in April of last year when The Buffalo News reported on the “great cup caper.” In 2018, the first incident occurred: a McDonald’s cup was thrown onto their lawn in the dark by a passing car. From there, the frequency of littering increased to nearly every day, typically consisting of one or two McDonald’s coffee cups and occasionally wet cigarette ends. The Pattons collected over 300 cups in ten trash bags as evidence, but despite investing in security equipment, they were never able to identify the car’s licence plate.

In April 2021, after appealing to neighbours and the police for assistance, the litterer was apprehended, and it turned out he had a motive: Larry Pope had worked with Cheryl Patton at Fisher Bus Service, where they frequently clashed over union issues. Patton described Pope as her “nemesis.”

Pope, who was charged with harassment and cited for a traffic infraction for throwing trash onto a roadway, received probation and community service, and, according to an update published by The Buffalo News late last week, he fulfilled the final conditions of his court case: He gave the Pattons $2,776.47 in restitution for the money they spent trying to identify his car, as well as an apology letter.

Edward Patton stated to the newspaper that Pope’s apology was only four lines long “Mr. and Mrs. Patton, I would like to apologise for my compulsive behaviour of littering. I had no ill intent, and I am very sorry for any problems I may have caused you or your family. My error in judgement has taught me a valuable lesson.”

I believe he has learned his lesson, Patton continued.

Read more • foodandwine.com