Man gets 2 1/2 years for stealing with boy
- Source: Global Times
- [09:00 April 22 2011]
- Comments
A man has been sentenced to two and a half years in jail and fined 5,000 yuan ($767) for using a 3-year-old boy as an accomplice to steal from customers at a local restaurant, the Jiading District People's Court said Thursday.
The man, in his 50s, identified by the court as Wang Zhongqiang, started bringing the boy into the restaurant in January. The boy was told to distract customers, while Wang raided their pockets for their wallets. He would later split the stolen money with the boy's mother, whom was paid 200 yuan ($31) for every time Wang "borrowed" her son.
Wang said that he targeted male customers, who left their jackets hanging on the backs of their chairs, making it easier to steal wallets left inside their coats.
Wang managed to get away with the scam twice before a waitress at the restaurant caught on to his scheme and tipped off local police.
Global Times