DETROIT – Owners of an eastside Detroit laundromat want to know the identity of a mother who they said is using her children as tiny thieves. They believe she was giving them a lesson in crime before dropping them off at school.
Every morning for a month at the Coin-O-Matic on 7 Mile and Riopelle roads in Detroit, staff members would find that the candy in the bottom row of the vending machine had disappeared.
After several tries, employees discovered the culprit. They said an 18- to 20-year-old mother with a young son and daughter is responsible. Employees said the children stick their tiny arms beyond the machine's trap door to grab the candy.
Video from 7:30 a.m. Monday showed the children stuffing their mother's purse like a Thanksgiving turkey. The mother is bold, targeting the machines in full view when the manager was in the office.
Business owners believe the woman and children live in the neighborhood and are concerned for the children's welfare.
Management hasn't filed a police report yet but is eager to learn the woman's identify before the children get their hands stuck or grow to commit more serious crimes.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
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