Two 20-year-old Jersey City women were taken into custody after they reportedly used a 7-year-old girl in a series of thefts at Bayonne businesses.
Police said Sonia Sykes and Desmone Stevens were accused of committing at least six thefts of businesses on Broadway.
The first incident took place on June 26 at approximately 4 p.m. where Sykes, Stevens, and the child allegedly entered B-Uniforms - located at 427 Broadway - and distracted the cashier while the girl went behind the counter and removed a leather wallet from the cashier's pocketbook.
The pocketbook contained approximately $250, credit cards, and other personal items.
However thefts came to a halt once off-duty Police Officer Paul Newman, recognized the woman from a surveillance video from B-Uniforms.
Stevens and Sykes were arrested and charged with theft, conspiracy to commit theft, use of a 17-year-old or younger to commit an offense, and endangering the welfare of a child, police said. Sykes was additionally charged with one count of fraudulent use of a credit card.
The relationship between the women and the child remains unknown.