3
11
A man and a little girl were caught on camera stealing packages from the front doorstep of a home in a suburb of Chicago.
The two strangers, one of whom appeared to be no older than a first-grader, were seen getting out of a car, walking up to the porch and removing a couple of boxes that were for the homeowners, Ray and Esther Brown.
It happened last week just after 4pm in Chicago's Beverly neighborhood.
The adult and the child alongside him swiped the boxes in broad daylight.
The packages contained some cosmetics and a replacement part for a toilet, together valued at less than $500.
For security, the Browns have a camera on their doorbell which automatically starts to record whenever someone approaches.
The recording even streams directly to a smart phone and the couple were able to witness the thefts as it was occuring.
'I came in the house first and he said where are the packages and I said well there are no packages, why are you tripping over these packages and he said because I saw that they were delivered,' said Esther Brown to Fox32.
The Browns noticed that the little girl had a backpack on and looked to have been picked up from school by her criminal companion.
The couple say they hope that the suspect is caught and arrested and that the youngster is taught a lesson.
'I'm sure they were be very disappointed by the time they came home and open those packages and saw what the date of a theft that was, was it really worth the effort and certainly once they see this aired, they probably will realize oh my God we did all of that for what?' Esther said.
'I thought it was brazen and bold, I mean it wasn't even dark, the sun was still up, and to walk on the porch, I felt violated,' husband Ray said to Fox32.
'I felt violated till you see the child, then you feel heartbroken, like why would they bring the child up to the crime.'
The Browns hope the little girl will also be given some important lessons to steer her away from a life of crime. They do not believe she is from the area because she was not wearing the uniforms of any of the local schools.
'I was very alarmed to see the baby, the little girl, I didn't care about the packages but it was that little girl that I felt was being corrupted,' Esther said.