Grandma Accused Of Shopflifting With Child

A woman had her 4-year-old granddaughter help her shoplift at a department store, police said Tuesday. Surveillance cameras recorded Monica Vitale, 42, on Monday taking items from a Sears and having her granddaughter put them into a toy stroller, Upper Darby Township Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said.

"She actually hands the little girl the package, and the 4-year-old puts it in the stroller, raises the hood of the stroller, and then Grandmom covers it," Chitwood said.

Vitale allegedly shoplifted from the same store Sunday, but store detectives decided not to pursue her because of the child, Chitwood said.

"I would like to think that the 4-year-old thought it maybe was a game or something like that. I cannot imagine in any way, shape or form that she was stealing," Chitwood said.

Vitale was charged with retail theft, corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of a child. She was held on $25,000 bail for failure to appear for a previous retail theft charge.