New Hampshire police say a man used a toddler in order to steal prizes from a mall’s Keymaster game Friday night—actually having the little girl climb into the vending machine contraption in order to retrieve the goods.
In the shocking video released by Salem Police Department and reported by the Dayton Daily News, the unidentified male can be heard giving orders to the little girl while a young boy, thought to be 5 to 7 years old, gathers the prizes.
“Hurry up,” the man is heard saying as he reaches into the hole where the rewards—usually won by maneuvering a claw and grabbing onto the items—drop down from.
“Turn around. Sit up…put your back against this,” he states while seemingly attempting to get the tot out of the machine. A few seconds later, the girl, whose face is blurred to protect her identity, emerges. The man then leaves the area with the children and stolen items in tow.
According to Lt. Jason Smith’s statement, several witnesses watched the troublesome event unfold while recording the incident at Mall at Rockingham Park.
Authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspect, who is described as a hispanic male between 20 and 30 years of age with a beard. He was wearing a black Sig Sauer baseball hat, a blue t-shirt, and black shorts with an Under Armour belt at the time of the incident.
Smith is urging anyone who recognizes the man to contact Detective Dempsey at 603-890-2343. You may also send a message through the department’s Facebook page. Anyone with tips may remain anonymous.