COWETA COUNTY, Ga. - A thief got away with money to help young hospital patients. Coweta County deputies say a woman who had been fired from a barbershop is responsible.
Investigators have been looking for Tammy Jones since September 17. That's when they say surveillance cameras caught her breaking into The Barber Shop at Newnan around 11:30 p.m. and leaving with $280 in donations.
Search for woman accused of stealing donation box to benefit young patients (Coweta County)
"It feels like a violation because that was for a charity," says Don Collins, the shop owner. "We had been collecting for it for about seven weeks."
Collins tells FOX 5 Jones worked for him previously. He fired her after days before the theft.
Deputies say the video shows Jones walking out of the shop with her several items including a donation box. The shop had been collecting money for Joey's Toy Box.
"It's disheartening, we try hard to raise money," says Kim Doolittle, with Joey's Toy Box.
Doolittle's son, Joey, came up with the idea while he was battling cancer. The hospital he was in ran out of toys.
"I told him okay," says Doolittle. "He had his first fundraiser and he raised $1,800 and he went out that night and spent $1,800. We were able to deliver the toys to [Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at] Scottish Rite, which is where he attended."
That was Joey's only drive. He died in 2008. His efforts live on.
Collins believes Jones used a copy of a key to get into the building.
Workers at the shop replaced the stolen money.
Anyone who has seen Jones is asked to call the Coweta County Sheriff's Office at 770-253-1502.
SEE ALSO: Woman accused of stealing donations to children’s cancer charity