Police trying to find woman who stole $1,000 from a 15-year-old at a Lynnwood thrift store

Police are looking for a woman who stole a wad of cash at Bella’s Voice thrift store in Lynnwood Monday afternoon.

But it wasn’t the store’s money – it belonged to another customer.

“Most people would say ‘excuse me there’s a bag of money here.’ She knows it belongs to somebody else -- she knew exactly what she was doing,” said Laura Muirhead, co-founder of Bella’s Voice.

Turns out, the money belonged to a 15-year-old boy who worked and saved to help his parents buy some new furniture.

“Because their son sleeps on the couch and their older couch was too small for him, so when they saw the sectional, it was perfect for them and they fell in love with it and asked me to hold it for them while they went home and got the cash,” said Yvette Hoffman, co-founder of Bella’s Voice.

The family had paid $500 for the sectional and as they were loading it onto trucks, the thief walked into the store, nearly bumping into one of the kids as he carried out cushions.

The family left a pouch with more than $1,000 cash on a dresser.

Surveillance video shows the woman who spots the pouch, looks inside, then looks to see if anyone is watching.

And then she scoops it up and instead of making a quick getaway, she calmly strolls around the store before leaving.

Moments later, the family comes back to move more pieces, then realizing the money’s gone.

“It was heartbreaking – because it was all their money,” said Hoffman.

Lynnwood Police are urging anyone with information about the crime to give them a call.

“That’s new for me to witness, absolutely. And I am more passionate about her getting caught because she took it from one of our customers, and a kid no less,” said Muirhead.

If you have information about this incident, contact Officer Burker at 425-670-5535.