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THORNTON, Colo. — A mother of two in Thornton is struggling to house and feed her family after a thief stole her rent money while she was at work.

“I need him to know that it’s not OK that even if you need help, you need to ask for help and not steal something from someone else. Maybe he is just a criminal that just constantly does this,” Shannon Klein said.

Klein was working at the Circle K near East Arapahoe Road and South Havana Street in Centennial when it happened. Klein was helping customers during the night shift at the time. She said the suspect, who had been in the store several times, stole $1,000 from her purse.

The thief was caught in the act on video surveillance. He apparently didn’t know or care that his every move was being captured on 16 surveillance cameras.

“Walking from the front door to the office, reaching into my purse, walking out, getting beer and then coming up to the front and talking to me,” she said.

He was in the office for only a few seconds. The video shows him go straight for her wallet.

“I realized the money was missing and then I called the police,” Klein said.

The money was going to pay her rent. She was already almost a month behind.

“If you work hard, you should be able to keep what you work for and when you can’t it hurts, you know? Rent now is due and now I don’t have what I need to take care of my own family,” Klein said.

Police said the suspect used a fake ID to buy the beer, so they need help finding him.

Klein’s friends set up a GoFundMe page. The page said the money won’t just go to the rent, but it will help others by raising money to feed those in need during the holidays.

Klein said she’s willing to forgive the suspect if he’ll only return her rent money, some of which he used to buy the beer.

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