A Houston musician turned an unfortunate car break-in into a hilarious moment when the thief who targeted him found out he had less money than they did. Michael Rowlands Jr. (@dressy.fits) took to TikTok to share the ironic twist, where his story quickly went viral, racking up over 35 million views.
Rowlands' car was broken into during a workout session at his local gym, and his wallet was stolen. But instead of panicking, he found himself laughing when he started receiving real-time notifications that the thief’s attempts to use his credit cards were being repeatedly declined.
A thief’s worst nightmare: empty bank accounts
In his viral video, Rowlands shared his reaction to the situation:
"How does it feel to know that you broke into the car of someone who is more broke than you?"
— Michael Rowlands Jr. (@dressy.fits)
According to Newsweek, Rowlands returned to his car after working out, only to find his window smashed and his wallet gone. As he waited for the Houston Police to arrive, his phone was flooded with notifications. Each one was another failed transaction from the thief attempting to make purchases at a nearby gas station.
Instead of feeling violated or angry, Rowlands couldn't help but see the humor in the situation.
"I started laughing because I could see he was probably getting more frustrated than I was."
— Michael Rowlands Jr. (@dressy.fits)
TikTok reacts: “At this point, they should just give you $20”
Rowlands' humorous approach to the situation resonated with thousands of TikTok users, who flooded the comments section with their own experiences and jokes.
User @hanabanana praised his outlook, writing, "I respect how you can still make people laugh."
Another user, @j.jefferson.artist, shared a similar story: "It’s happened to me too, here in Houston. (...) I’m sorry this happened to you."
@britneykeismommy added, "Happened to me. They went to the gas station first and it declined for $1.50. I died laughing like buddy all my accounts are negative."
"At this point, they should just give it back and give you $20."
— @tiffanyann
Tracking the thief: A silver Jeep and some distinctive curls
A few days after his initial post, Rowlands followed up with another TikTok, revealing CCTV footage of the thief and his getaway vehicle—a silver Jeep. He also speculated on the suspect’s appearance based on what he saw in the footage.
"I know he has long, black curls because I saw the shape of the curls whenever he darted his head over, and he also has facial hair," Rowlands explained.
He ended the video by encouraging his followers to help identify and catch the thief.
Turning misfortune into laughter
Despite the frustration of having his car broken into, Rowlands' reaction is a reminder that sometimes, finding humor in a bad situation is the best way to move forward. And if there's one lesson to take away from this—if you're going to rob someone, you might want to check their bank balance first.
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