UPDATE: Samaritans offer to help Girl Scouts who had cash swiped at N.J. mall cookie sale

Parents in Middlesex County took to social media over the weekend to find a thief they say stole $1,000 from Girl Scouts cookie sales in Woodbridge Center mall on Friday afternoon.

“Girl Scout Troop 80062 was blindsided and robbed of our money,” Jessica Medina wrote on Facebook. “Please Help. Any information would be greatly appreciated.”

Woodbridge police said the money was taken between 4:20 p.m. and 4:50 p.m. Friday from the Girl Scout’s cookie sales table in the Boscov’s department store wing near Chick-fil A.

The money, about $500 cash and several checks, was placed in a bank envelope and left unattended on the table, according to police Capt. Scott Kuzma, who added the case has been assigned to detectives.

The money was discovered missing a short time later and police were called about 5:30 p.m., Kuzma said.

“This makes me so angry,” Michelle Lass Parrinello, whose daughter is in the troop, wrote on Facebook. “I hope these people are found. What is wrong with people?”

How broke and cruel you gotta be to steal money from GIRL SCOUTS at WOODBRIDGE MALL?! — 𝔰𝔥𝔞𝔩𝔞𝔩𝔞𝔩𝔞 (@shala1009) January 20, 2019

Medina said the girls were selling cookies on the upper level when they realized the money was missing.

A review of mall surveillance cameras showed a man – who may have been in disguise – picking up the envelope and placing it into his pocket.

The man was with a woman using a red walker. He said, “let’s go, let’s go” to the woman as they walked away, Medina wrote in her Facebook post.

“Honest to God, the good in my heart wants to truly believe this is a misunderstanding and he simply didn’t know or was aware of what he was doing,” Medina said.

$1000 stolen from girl scouts selling cookies at Woodbridge Mall. I wish I could give them $1000. Posted by John Darnell on Sunday, January 20, 2019

“What a shame to steal, but then steal from children who are doing it all for a good cause to learn how to become strong women leaders of America?” Gabrielle Gaetano wrote on Facebook Sunday. “I’m proud that they kept their heads held high and kept selling!”

Medina said members of the troop were trying hard to remain positive.

“We will pull up our Girl Scout pants, put on our vests and venture out again. We will not be held back by cowardly thieves,” she said.

Anyone with information may call Woodbridge police at 732-634-7700.

🚩 Media Frenzy of False Reports, please do not believe everything you hear or see in the newspapers. So much twisted,... Posted by Jessica Cunha Medina on Friday, January 18, 2019

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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