The search is on for a group of teenagers after one of them stole a Girl Scouts donation jar from a local business.
It happened Tuesday at Summit Comic and Games in downtown Lansing at 216 Washington Square.
Cameras are everywhere throughout the store but the thief didn’t realize that as he took off with the jar.
“What kind of a monster steals from little girls?” said Ashlie Woods, an employee who was working at the time of the theft.
The whole thing happened in just a matter of seconds. As the group of kids walked out, one stayed behind and waited until nobody was looking to make the getaway.
“I did have one of the members of the group ask me at one point if all of our valuable stuff was kept behind our desk,” said Woods. “So it seemed like they were trying to find something.”
Later on the video shows someone come in from the street to let Woods know what she had saw. Woods was helping a customer at the time and didn’t see what happened.
Woods darted outside after the group of kids and was able to catch up to them.
“None of them would fess up,” said Woods. “They were saying I didn’t have proof.”
“It’s really disappointing because the money goes for a really great cause,” said Robin McClain of Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan.
The donation jar is for the Girl Scouts “Hometown Heroes” program which allows scouts the chance to buy cookies and other snacks for our local first responders and military personnel.
“We want these girls to know who the authority figures are in their community and know how to approach them and what they can do and how girls and help them help us.
While the authorities track down the thief, store employees hope this will be a wakeup call.
“You should really rethink what you’re doing,” said Woods. “This isn't a road that you want to travel for your life to be on, you can make so much better of yourself.”
“Even though this has happened, girl scouts will rise above it,” said McClain.
Many customers have made extra donations after learning what happened. One customer donated $50.
Employees estimate between $30 and $50 was inside of the jar at the time of the theft.
Lansing Police are investigating but have not made any arrests yet.
