Police hunt for man who put toddler in arcade game to steal prizes

Police in New Hampshire, USA, are looking for a man who put a toddler into an arcade game to steal the prizes.

Video of a young girl inside a machine in a shopping centre at Rockingham Park is circulating online after police turned to social media to catch the culprit.

The vision, which was posted to the Salem NH Police Department Facebook page, clocking up more than 38,000 views in less than 12 hours.

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“The male subject had the small female toddler climb into the bottom portion of the game, designed for items won by a player to drop, and then reach up and grab various items, handing them to the male subject,” a police spokesperson said.

“In addition to the female toddler, another young child, perhaps five to seven years of age, was with the male.

“After getting the small child out the game, the man left the area with the children and the stolen items.”

It’s believed the man was the girl’s father.

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The blatant theft took place in full view of by bystanders, who watched the whole thing unfold.

Hannah Forese, a hostess at a restaurant across from the machine called, mall security after she heard customers talking about the arcade game heist.

“I went outside and all I saw was the toddler’s head peeping out of the front of the machine,” Forese told Kevin Landrigan at the New Hampshire Union Leader.

She said the group calmly walked off with their loot, which included a Nintendo Switch and a Gameboy DS.