It’s bad enough to steal a package from a stranger’s porch, but enlisting the help of a kid to do your dirty work? That’s even worse.

Police in West Covina, CA are on the lookout for a man seen on a home security video walking on a residential street with a young boy. The man seems to make a gesture as they near the house, at which point the child veers off the sidewalk, walks over to the porch, and grabs the package, CBS Los Angeles reports. He then runs back to the man and hands him the package.

The homeowner says the box was filled with children’s clothing he’d purchased for his daughter. He says as a father of three he was stunned to see the incident captured on video.

“I’ve never seen an adult send a child to steal packages,” he told the station. “To learn how to steal at that early age is really heartbreaking.”

Police now hope someone will recognize the man in the video, who could face charges of petty theft as well as contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Both charges come with fines or up to a year in county jail.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen adults enlist kids as accomplices in their crimes: there was the woman accused of telling her kid to push a cart of stolen merchandise out of Walmart; this Toys ‘R’ Us shoplifting spree; the women who left their baby in the store after shoplifting; and the mom who used her kid’s stroller as cover for a stolen sex toy.

Man Caught On Tape Using Young Boy To Grab Package Off Porch [CBS Los Angeles]

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