Thief swipes cash box from Campfire Girl selling candy -- but community comes to her aid

MILL CREEK, Wash. -- People in Snohomish County are rallying around a Campfire Girl who was victimized by a thief while she sold candy in front of a local grocery store.

Eleven-year-old Nattalie Anderson was selling candy to pay for two weeks of camp next summer.

On Wednesday, she met the worst kind of customer.

“He leaned in like people usually do to see what candies we have,” said Nattalie. “And then he grabbed it and ran.”

The thief got away with a cash box holding $85 dollars in candy sales -- a fortune to a little girl.

“I was surprised and scared, and confused, too,” said Nattalie.



Tyson Anderson, Nattalie’s dad, said, “I was shocked that somebody would do that to a little kid.”

But Anderson was not shocked at his daughter’s resiliency.

“I`m proud that she got back up and said she wanted to go to camp and to keep selling.”

As word spread about what happened, Nattalie's candy sales actually dropped. Her profits, though, are skyrocketing. People are making donations and asking nothing in return.

On Friday, one man gave her $100. Another woman came to Walmart specifically to give Nattalie money.

“She`s making an effort to go to camp and I think it`s a terrible thing, and I hope she can be able to go.”

Thanks to people’s generosity, Nattalie now has more than enough money to pay for camp.

Police are still looking for the thief who stole her cash box.