Two Kissimmee parents were arrested after having their 10-year-old son steal from two local businesses, police said Wednesday.
The parents, identified as Julio Angel Torres and Janet Soto, used their son to steal purses from a back room in Hooters and other items from a Ron Jon Surf Shop in Clearwater Sunday, police said.
Torres, 31, and Soto, 37, were both being held in jail Wednesday. It was unknown whether they have attorneys.
Surveillance video from the Ron Jon Surf Shop shows the parents give items to their son, who hides them in a stroller, police said.
In the Hooters video, the boy is seen stealing two employee purses from a back room, while the parents wait for his return. When he comes back with the purses, the mom helps they boy place the purses in the stroller and they exit the store.
Clearwater police made the surveillance video public on their social media sites and someone in St. Petersburg was able to identify the couple, officials said.
The two were taken into custody at the Sunrise Bowling Center in St. Petersburg Tuesday night. Their 2006 Acura was seized as was $575 in cash and two purses with stolen IDs and credit cards, police said.
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Torres and Soto will face charges of grand theft, burglary, credit card fraud and felony child neglect. More charges could be coming, police said.
Their son and 2-year-old daughter were placed in DCF custody, police said.
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