The man, who was caught by surveillance cameras, apparently thought it was Take-Your-Daughter-To-Work Day. But the police say he is anything but a good example.
"This is absolutely ridiculous," said Philadelphia Police Detective Christopher Gilman.
Instead, it was apparently Daddy's Pay Day.
The man is seen on surveillance video at the K-Mart store on Roosevelt Boulevard near Welsh Road. He walks up to the jewelry counter at about 10:00 a.m. Friday with the little girl, who appears to be about 4 years old. He then uses a screwdriver to pry open a countertop jewelry kiosk.
Police say he emptied the kiosk of between one- and two-thousand dollars worth of jewelry. He then leaves the store hand-in-hand with the little girl. Police say he had apparently cased the place before the heist.
"I would think someone who commits a crime like this would have spent some time at a store and have some knowledge of what it would take to break open a case," said Gilman.
Police say he was seen leaving the parking lot with the little girl in a gold Ford Taurus. They are hoping someone will recognize him and help stop him before he gets the girl hurt.
They also suspect he's the same guy who robbed a K-Mart in Port Richmond Sunday morning. He was alone for that job.
Other K-Mart shoppers are outraged that he brought the little girl along today.
"You should never do that. You should never do that," said Henry Williams of Port Richmond. "I don't know what kind of heart he has. He has a bad heart. He really has a bad heart. A 4-year-old girl? Come on. I have four daughters. That's wrong. Come on, that's wrong."
The man in the surveillance video is described as a white man in his 30s, weighing about 150 pounds and standing about 5'10" tall. He had a goatee and was wearing a black or blue sweatshirt with white sleeves.
If you think you know him, the police want to hear from you right away.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Northeast Detectives at (215) 686-3153 or 215.686.TIPS (8477). Anonymous tips can also be submitted online at the Philadelphia police website..
