Video: Woman Steals Stroller From Store, Leaves Behind Child
MIDDLETOWN, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Three women accused of stealing a stroller from a baby supply store had to turn back around after forgetting some precious cargo.
And police say that mistake ultimately helped them track two of the three down, CBS2's Dick Brennan reported Thursday.
The store Bambi Baby in Middletown has been in the Ortega family for decades now, so the owner said they've seen their fair share of shoplifters. But last Friday afternoon's incident was a little more bizarre than usual.
The owner, Enelio Ortega, shared a surveillance video with CBS2. On it, three shoplifters are seen walking through the doors with their children. One of the women then attempts to collapse a stroller for a few minutes before finally doing so. She then takes it out of the store, but leaves behind perhaps her most precious belonging -- the child she came in with.
Ortega said almost six minutes went by before one of the accomplices finally came back for the child.
"We haven't had any issues here at this store," the store manager, named "Justin," said. "I was devastated that someone would leave their child in a store to worry more about stealing a stroller."
What makes this even stranger is Ortega said the women are from England and stole an English stroller that actually would've been much cheaper overseas.
"What I take major offense to is the children. Don't do that with your children," Ortega said. "If you need to steal for a living, that's a personal problem, that's a personal issue. But when you bring children that have no idea what's going on, that affected me. That's why I'm sharing [the video] as much as possible."
Strollers can get pretty pricey. Ortega said the stroller next to the stolen one was worth $1,000. The stolen one cost only $300. He speculated the woman caught on camera taking the stroller may have chosen a collapsible one so she could bring it on an airplane.
Police were able to track down two of the three women -- 23-year-old Maryann Cash and 20-year-old Nan McCarthy. If you have any information on the third, you're asked to give police in Middletown a call at (732) 615-2100.
The manager said the store will be adding additional security cameras in the future, and is even considering putting sensors on products.