Caught on Camera: Christmas Gift Theft

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) A surveillance camera caught a pair of alleged package thieves helping themselves to a very special delivery. Now, police are trying to track down the Grinch of Fishtown.

Diana Plucinski got sick to her stomach watching the video. Her own surveillance system caught a man and a girl walking down Marlborough Street stop, open a box and walk off with the gift inside. It happened just 15 minutes after the package was delivered by FedEX.

"The way they ran up to the box. It's not their first rodeo," Diana told FOX 29.

The Fishtown mother ordered a toy wagon for her 1-year-old daughter Brooklyn. She was suffering from complications from a premature birth, so Brooklyn spent last Christmas in Children's Hospital. This year would be her first real Christmas at home and that gift was to help the little girl with her physical therapy.

"It's clearly a kids toy. And it's a toy that my daughter needs for her developmental. A physical therapist had asked us to get to help her development," the mother explained.

Plucinski contacted police and has handed the video over to detectives. Plucinski says it's not the money from the stolen gift she's worried about. She's more concerned that this man may be using a kid to steal from other families at Christmas time.

"It bothered me more than anything this child was part of this with someone who should have been in a supervisory role," she said.

The family his hoping someone out there knows the pair in the video before they ruin someone else's holiday.

"It's the holidays and it takes away the spirit of everything and I just feel like there's more victims than just me," said Plucinski.

Police say they are looking into the possibility the pair may be following delivery trucks during the season. If you have any leads, please contact Philadelphia police East Detectives.