Watch: Video shows thief stealing money jar from lemonade stand
Authorities are searching for a man who stole money from children in Virginia while they were selling lemonade.
A brother and sister from southeastern Virginia recently had a bitter day after police said a thief stole their piggy bank while the siblings were selling lemonade.
The suspect was filmed last week stealing the children’s entire day’s earnings outside their home in Chesapeake, a city about 20 miles southeast of Virginia Beach.
Chesapeake Police Department Officer Leo C. Kosinsk, whose agency is investigating the case, told USA TODAY the theft occurred just before noon on Aug. 14. Before the theft, Kosinski confirmed, a silver four-door Toyota sedan stopped near the stand and the suspect exited the vehicle.
The footage shows the suspect casually walking up to the stand and quickly grabbing the jar of money.
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“I had my back turned to him and therefore did not notice”
Ten-year-old Rebecca Caldwell told WAVY-TV that she and her brother Josh were manning their stand when the suspect reached for the jar containing their cash and was about to pour him a glass of lemonade.
“We already had $40. It seemed pretty good, and then the guy came,” the girl told the outlet. “He was really nice. He just said something like, ‘Nice, you all are doing a lemonade stand.’ And then he got pretty close, but I had my back to him, so I didn’t really notice.”
Police said the children’s parents, Annetta and Josh Caldwell, filed a complaint after the man stole money from their young entrepreneurs.
Description of the Lemonade Stand Money Jar Thief
Police described the suspect as a white man in his 30s with a goatee and tattoos.
In the video he can be seen wearing a hat, grey T-shirt, blue or grey shorts and white tennis shoes.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact police at 757-382-6161.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X at @nataliealund.
