‘Disturbing’: 8-year-old involved in family distraction theft at Calgary mall
Posted Jul 8, 2026 10:36 am.
A child as young as eight was among several family members involved in a distraction theft at a Calgary mall last month, according to police.
Calgary police say officers were called to CF Market Mall on June 17 after a jewellery store employee reported items missing.
Security video showed six members of the same family entering the store together. While the adults talked to staff, a 16-year-old girl and an eight-year-old boy left the store with nearly $4,000 worth of jewellery.
The rest of the family walked out minutes later. The employee discovered the theft shortly afterward and called police.
Officers found an one adult and the two youths who allegedly took the jewellery in the mall. The remaining suspects were found in a stolen truck in the parking lot, where police say they also recovered additional stolen goods from other stores.
Charges were laid against several family members.
A 16-year-old girl faces theft under $5,000 and failure to comply with an undertaking. A 25-year-old woman, 34-year-old woman and 17-year-old male each face three counts of possession of stolen property over $5,000 and two counts under $5,000.
Two children, aged eight and nine, were released to their father, who police say was not involved in the thefts and will not face charges.
Police say distraction thefts are becoming more common in Calgary, but call this incident “particularly disturbing” due to young children being involved in the thefts.
Because of the ages of the children, none of the family members can be named under the Youth Justice Act.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 403‑266‑1234 or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers.
