Father used children to help him shoplift, police say

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — An Atlanta man faces charges he used small children to help him shoplift from a Sandy Springs Target store.

Police told Channel 2’s Mike Petchenik that store security watched Cozy Blackmon direct the kids, ages 9, 7 and 4, to collect DVDs off the shelves at the Roswell Road store in late February.

“The girls were putting DVDs into the cart, manipulating, taking them out of theft prevention devices and concealing them in a plastic bag,” said Sandy Springs Police Sgt. Sam Worsham.

A police report Petchenik obtained said security overheard one of the girls tell Blackmon, “We gonna make some money up here in Target today.”

Worsham said as Blackmon and the girls, one of whom is his daughter, tried to leave the store, they were detained.

“We charged him with shoplifting, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and carrying a concealed weapon,” said Worsham. “He had a loaded .22 pistol in his backpack.”

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Parents outside the store told Petchenik they were shocked to hear of the allegations.

“It’s unfortunate,” said parent Tish Johnson. “Lock him up. That’s where he needs to be. In jail, for sure.”

Parent Cara Kuehn told Petchenik that Blackmon was definitely not setting a good example for any children.

“It’s exposing your children to something at such a young age and teaching them values that we don’t want in our community,” she said.

Cox Media Group