FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Surveillance captured video of a young boy stealing a phone from a Fort Lauderdale AT&T store, but investigators do not yet know whether the theft was orchestrated by the boy’s parent.
The store general manager, Sean Mastain, believes a man who was with the boy facilitated the robbery while one of the store employees was distracted.
“I don’t know if I want to call him the sippy cup bandit or just the dad a piece of garbage,” said Mastain.
Fort Lauderdale Police received the call at around 2:15 p.m. Tuesday, from the store on East Commercial Boulevard and Northeast 18th Avenue.
Surveillance video shows the boy stealing the $875 cellphone. A customer walking by doesn’t seem to faze the boy as he slides around the table and takes the phone off the charger. The boy then ran back to the adult he was with.
Meanwhile, the man was holding at a phone on display. But he doesn’t appear to be looking at it, as he looks at the employe and a customer. Then he takes out his own phone, which appears to be an older model iPhone.
Upon reaching the man, the child could be heard on surveillance saying, “Can we go now? I want to get my toy.”
“You get your 8-year-old kid to stuff a phone down his pants, and then he walks up to you and says, ‘I’m ready for a toy,'” said Mastain.
The man and the child then left the store without paying.
Now, Mastain wants this man to be held accountable. “I was shocked,” said Mastain. “This has got to stop. Hopefully his dad goes to jail.”
John Burns, a customer, said the parent needs to be spoken to.
“The parent needs to have some very serious talking to, perhaps by the police,” Burns said. “It’s very sad, not how you want to raise a kid.”
The man has a large tattoo on his left forearm and a smaller one on his right forearm. He also has one on his right leg, which appears to be an image of a face.
If you have any information on this crime, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $3,000 reward.
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