NJ Woman Accused of Stealing Donation Jar for Boy With Cancer: Police

A woman is facing charges after authorities say she was caught on camera swiping a donation jar meant to raise money for a boy with with cancer from a New Jersey bakery.

The 27-year-old woman was arrested on theft charges Friday, two days after the Alkazar Bakery in Elizabeth posted surveillance footage to its Facebook page showing the woman grabbing a donation jar for 16-year-old Kevin Blanco, who has Hodgkins lymphoma.

Video from the bakery shows the woman looking in a glass case at the bakery, apparently talking with an employee. After several minutes, she can be seen sliding the donation jar off the top of the case and sticking it into her coat.

She then leaves the store with the estimated $350 in donations.

Authorities say that the woman was in the bakery for about 38 minutes, and she never purchased anything. They say that she asked an employee to make her a hot sandwich so she could steal the jar.

Blanco said he wasn't upset the woman tried to take the money that he says helps his mother with medical bills.

"She obviously stole it for a reason," he said. "Maybe she had kids or family. She needed help."

The union for the Elizabeth Police Department said Friday that it plans to present the child's family with a $500 check to make up for the stolen donations.

I wouldn't be able to get through this if it weren't for all those people helping me and caring about me," Blanco said. "Just shows this cancer is not a disease, it's kind of a blessing. It's showed me how many people care about me."

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