After being booked on shoplifting charges, a man walked out of a New Jersey police department and was caught by a surveillance camera pilfering two toy trucks from a "Toys for Tots" bin in the police station lobby.
Staroben Louis, 22, of Irvington, dipped into the "Toys for Tots" bin at the Wayne Police Department and removed toys valued at $60, authorities said Tuesday.
"That was pretty low. The toys go to needy kids," Capt. Laurence Martin told NBC 4 New York.
Apparently, Louis also thought it was pretty low because he returned to the station and left behind the trucks and a note of apology, explaining that he had taken the items for his 4-year-old cousin.
The toy theft was captured on videotape as Louis and Jaleel Bobbitt, 21, of Maplewood, left the station on Friday after both were charged with shoplifting merchandise from the Lord & Taylor store in Willow Brook Mall, police said.
Louis was accused of shoplifting $430 in men's clothing and Bobbitt was accused of taking $198 in clothing, police said. Louis was also charged with possession of a anti-shoplifting burglary device, police said.
The two men were issued summons for the charges and scheduled for court appearances.
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Despite repenting and returning the toys, Louis was given an additional summons, accusing him of stealing from the "Toys for Tots" bin.
There was no indication that Louis and Bobbitt had obtained lawyers who could comment on the charges.
