From the surrounding facts, it seems very unlikely that this was a robbery for $ and the thief had a change of heart. Family squabble seems to be the most plauseable story. While it may or may not be loshon horah, anyone that would touch a sefer torah in order to prove a point has to have their head (and soul) examined.
I’m certain that the person reaching into the Aron Kodesh truly believed what he was doing was purely lishmah, but most combatants feel that way. And if it were a money motivated robbery, that’s even more disheartening. I doubt the person who carried them out was a nochri, so the mindset of such a person makes you wonder what they could have been thinking.
Either way, a sad story, despite its happy ending.