Cape Coral woman accused of using child to steal over $1K worth of items at Target

A Cape Coral woman has been arrested after allegedly using a child to steal over $1,000 worth of merchandise at a Target.

According to the Cape Coral Police Department, on Saturday, officers responded to the Target on Pine Island Road for a theft that occurred the day prior. 

Target’s loss prevention staff told officers that a woman came into the retail store with a child under the age of 10.

Surveillance footage showed the woman loading a cart with merchandise, giving it to the child, and using the child to walk out of the store with the full cart.

The stolen items were estimated to be worth $1,111. Two big-ticket items listed as stolen were a barista machine and a vacuum cleaner. 

On Thursday, an officer responded to a complaint of a woman panhandling. The officer recognized the woman from the posted picture related to the Target theft investigation.

The investigation revealed that 24-year-old Elizabeth Novac loaded the cart with merchandise.

Before briefly separating from the child, Novac was seen pointing toward the exit doors and intentionally having the child leave the store with the shopping cart without attempting to pay.

She followed the child a few minutes later. 

Novac is being charged with grand theft and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.