Thief of Girl Scout money imprisoned, hand caught in cookie jar

VISTA (CNS) – A man who stole a jar of cash from Girl Scouts selling
cookies outside an Escondido supermarket pleaded guilty this week to misdemeanor
charges of petty theft and resisting arrest and was sentenced to 240 days in
jail.

David Betancort, 21, will be on probation for three years.

Escondido police said Betancort grabbed the money from a table outside
the Albertsons store on West Valley Parkway about 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 22, then
ran to a vehicle and sped off.

A troop leader supervising the girls selling cookies to shoppers took
down the thief's license plate number and gave it to police, Lt. Neal Griffin
said.

Five days later, officers sent to Betancort's home on an unrelated
arrest warrant. Seeing them, Betancort bolted, but was arrested in foot chase,
Griffin said.