Girl Scouts troop leads aksed after cookie money theft story falls apart

A girls section leader in central New Jersey was accepted as a volunteer after police said she claimed someone stole money from her soldier while selling cakes a shopping mall can never have happened.

The Girl Scouts in Central & Southern New Jersey said in a statement on their website Wednesday that they were "surprised and very sad" about how police investigated showed and removed the volunteer leader, identified by police as Jessica Medina, from her position .

The Woodbridge police said last week that it was investigating the alleged theft of $ 1[ads1]000 after being told by Medina that a man who may have had a disguise allegedly picked up a bank envelope from a table where Girl Scouts Troop 80062 sold cakes at Woodbridge Center Mall.

Woodbridge Police said in a press release T uesday that their investigation found "insufficient evidence to support the theft complaint as it was originally reported."

According to the authorities, Medina initially stated that the envelope, which contained about $ 500 in cash and several checks, was left unattended on the table. The Police Directorate said on Tuesday that after interviewing parents, troop members, and others in the cookie sales event, they learned that the envelope was kept in a secure cash box and was never dropped on the table.

Medina had also said that theft was caught on the mall surveillance camera and that a man who was with an older woman using a red walker allegedly took the envelope. The police said they interviewed the man and the woman and eliminated them as suspects. The authorities also learned that the alleged theft was not taken on camera.

Police said Medina changed her story during follow-up interviews and speculated that she believes the envelope might have been thrown into the garbage day of the cookie sales event.

"The Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey expect the highest standards of fiscal responsibility and ethical behavior from our volunteers, in line with our mission, values ​​and our Girl Scout Promise and Laws," the organization said in a statement on that Medina was removed as a volunteer.

After the news of the alleged theft was reported, several people reached out to girl gamers to make donations. A man, called Mick Kless, told the 12 New Jersey newsletter that he donated $ 1200 to the squad.

The Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey said in their statement that all donations to or for the squad will be returned on request.

"Our focus is now to help the girls move on with their cookie season and the continuation of their Girl Scout journey, build leadership capabilities that will give them courage, trust and character to make the world a better place."