Family members charged in distraction thefts
Several members of the same family are facing charges after a series of distraction thefts in the city’s northwest.
On Wednesday, June 17, 2026, police officers were called to CF Market Mall by an employee of a jewellery store who said they’d been the victim of theft.
After speaking with the employee and viewing security video, police officers determined that six members of the same family had entered the store together. While several of the adult members spoke with staff, a 16-year-old girl and eight-year-old boy from the family took several pieces of jewellery, valued at a total of just under $4,000, then left the store.
The remaining members of the family left the store a short time later, and soon after that, the employee realized the jewels were missing and called police.
Police were able find the two youth believed to have taken the jewellery, along with one of the adult family members, elsewhere in the mall.
The remaining suspects were located in a truck in the parking lot.
It was determined that the truck was stolen and a subsequent search recovered more stolen items from other stores.
As a result of this investigation, a 16-year-old female is charged with 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 are each charged with three counts of possession of stolen property over $5,000, and two counts of possession of stolen property under $5,000.
The 34-year-old woman is also charged with disobeying a court order.
Two children, aged eight and nine, were released to the custody of their father, who was not charged in this incident.
Due to the ages of the children, and provisions of the Youth Justice Act, the names of the family members will not be released.
“Distraction thefts are becoming increasingly common and Calgarians need to be vigilant, whether they’re walking down the street or working in a store,” says Insp. Colleen Bowers, District 7 of the Calgary Police Service. “This case is particularly disturbing because children were being used to commit those thefts.”
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact police by calling 403-266-1234. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers through any of the following methods:
TALK: 1-800-222-8477
TYPE: www.calgarycrimestoppers.org
APP: P3 Tips
Case # CA26266983/5782