Police are looking for a man who is seen on a St. Paul store surveillance video stealing charity donation jars on two occasions.
The jars belong to the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and contained at least $50 in the most recent theft, police said Wednesday.
"Obviously, to steal from a charity whose purpose is to help children and families in some of their most trying times is almost beyond comprehension," said police spokesman Howie Padilla. "We need to hold this man accountable."
A man leaned over the counter at the SuperAmerica at 756 N. Snelling Ave., took the donation jar, put it under his jacket and left at 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to a police report and Padilla.
Police have information that the same man stole another Children's Miracle Network jar from the same gas station on Monday, Padilla said. That theft was reported to police just before 4 a.m.
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Anyone with information is asked to call police at 651-266-5415.
Children's Miracle Network Hospitals occasionally hears of thefts of donation jars but it doesn't happen often, especially considering how many jars the nonprofit organization has around the country, said Miranda Barnard, spokeswoman for the organization, which raises funds and awareness for children's hospitals across North America.
Locally, "every penny in the jar would go to benefit" Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare, Barnard said.
"We think it's really sad that someone would steal from local children," she said.
