Caught on camera: Woman steals cash box from family raising funds to repair their only car

EVERETT, Wash. - An Everett family is warning the community about a brazen and bold thief who walked up to their home and made off with their hard earnings.

The theft reportedly happened Saturday night in Everett as Jessica Johnson and her family were shuffling items back in after hosting a garage sale.

"It wasn't 60 seconds and it was gone," Johnson said.

Johnson says their cash box was on a table in their porch as their front door was open; they trusted their belongings would be safe.

However, around 9:15 p.m. she says a woman in her 40s or 50s stopped by, looked around grabbing some speakers from the sale, when her home surveillance cameras capture her walking up their porch. The woman walks past the front door clearly indicating there are cameras watching and darts for the lock box. 

"She couldn't get it open so she took the whole box and left; she just disconnected it and took the whole thing," Johnson said.

The woman calmly walks away with at least $450. Johnson and her two children, 8 and 14 years old, earned that day.

"I felt invaded and angry," Johnson said. "I felt really angry, kind of defeated."

The unexpected theft couldn't happen at a worse time.

"We put the sale up not because we necessarily wanted to but because we've fallen on hard times and in 10 seconds she swooped it all away," Johnson said.

The family who recently moved to Everett from Longview has fallen behind on rent and bills. This was just another low blow.

"In the middle of everything going on my clutch went out in my car," Johnson said "When I tried to have the clutch repaired; it was repaired improperly and my transmission went out."

Saving up cash for the repairs was their main reason for the garage sale.

"She's far too old to be doing things like this," Johnson said. "This is not the message that we should be showing the youth in our community."

Unfortunately, she says this was not the woman's first time visiting their sale. Johnson says the woman stopped by as the family was setting up and she allegedly returned around 4 a.m. Monday, two days after the theft.

Information she says she's shared with Everett Police, details FOX 13 has confirmed.

Now the family is warning you to stay alert as they try to make up their losses and continue to rebuild.

'We’re just going to hope for the best," Johnson said.

The family has started a GoFundMe to help them cope as Johnson continues to go to school and her fiancé is able to find a new job after being laid off.