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“Leo moment” – Utah toddler shreds $1,000

Posted at 8:34 AM, Oct 05, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-05 10:40:20-04

HOLLADAY, Utah – A family is out more than $1,000 after their toddler got his hands on their football season ticket money.

Ben and Jackee Belnap would call themselves hardcore Utes fans. After saving for about a year, they finally had enough to pay back a family member for their season tickets.

“We pulled that money out on Sunday to go take it to pay for our season tickets,” said Ben.

The problem? They couldn’t find it anywhere. The white envelope the couple stored the money in mysteriously disappeared.

They looked everywhere; under rugs, in the couch, in drawers. That’s when Jackee found the money in the shredder.

“Honestly in my heart, I said someday this is going to be really funny,” said Ben.

“As devastated and as sick as we were, this was one of those moments where you just have to laugh,” said Jackee.

More than $1,000 was shredded. They knew immediately it was their 2-year-old son, Leo.

Jackee said Leo enjoyed helping her shred the bills, but they usually turned it off after they use it.

“Most people they say, ‘Oh, a kid drew crayon on the wall’ or something. I’ve never heard of a kid shredding a grand,” said Ben.

Leo’s parents say even though they were a little upset, they couldn’t help but laugh at the situation.

“We have a lot of Leo moments. Most of them are just funny, and we laugh about them for days and big jokes, but this was one of those moments that wasn’t his greatest, but we love him,” said Jackee.

There is some hope for the couple. They tell News4Utah they have spoken with the U.S. Department of Treasury, and they may be able to get some or even all of the money back. The process could take up to two years.

As for Leo, his parents say he’s banned from using the shredder any time soon.