Dad accused of using daughter to steal from Dollar General

STANISLAUS COUNTY, Calif. — Police in a California town are looking for a man who uses his young daughter to help him shoplift. They say involving a child may help them press additional charges when he is caught.

Detectives say the little girl is being used as a decoy to steal from Dollar General stores across Stanislaus County.

"Grabbing items and placing them in her hands and then going towards the back of the store, putting her down and getting the items, and concealing them on his body and then walking out the store," Deputy Raj Singh told KOVR.

TRENDING NOW:

• Health department reveals new details on suspected cases of mysterious illness
• Social Security checks will grow in 2019 as inflation rises
• Person struck, killed by tractor-trailer on I-79
• VOTE for your Week 7 Band of the Week
• VIDEO: Timeline of furniture-throwing incident involving Antonio Brown
• DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts

Singh says the man has gotten away with it not once or twice, but possibly dozens of times, using his daughter to steal about $1,000 worth of items in a matter of months. They believe he has been stealing things like household goods and food, but detectives aren't concerned about the stolen stuff.

"As bad as the theft is, our primary concern is the welfare of this child," said Singh.

Petty theft is a misdemeanor, but authorities are hoping a child endangerment charge will make it a felony.

CNN/KOVR