Surveillance video of the crime shows the man walking into the station while the clerk is helping other people.
Within moments, he helps himself to a donation jar on the counter, tucks it under his coat, and leaves.
"Not only did he come back in, he bought a cup of coffee and, I think it was a Gatorade, with the money he stole in the jar," said Christian Slawecki, the clerk working at the time who can been seen in the surveillance video.
The thief must have known he was being photographed. The surveillance camera and monitor are right there behind the counter.
Apparently he didn't care.
CLICK HERE to watch surveillance video of the theft.
The money was being collected by Ride for Kids, a charity that raises money for pediatric brain tumor research.
The jar had about $50 in it. At the time, no one noticed he had taken it.
When the thief went back to his car, it wouldn't start.
So, he came back inside, and a store clerk and a customer went out of their way to help.
"We actually used my car to start his batter," Slawecki said. "We had a lady nice enough to give us jumper cables, she let us use her jumper cables so we could get the car going."
Their act of charity was rewarded by a despicable act of selfishness.
The thief drove off with money intended for sick kids.
"There's better way to make money than stealing from sick kids," said Slawecki. "Not only that, but potential research that could help these kids get better."
Schuylkill Township Police are hoping someone recognizes the suspect. If you do, they want you to give them a call at 610-933-5820.
