Suspected Riverside County Tip Jar Thief Caught

CORONA, CA -- A Perris woman suspected of using her children to steal tip jars throughout Southwest Riverside was arrested this week. Lajuana Phillips, 35, was arrested on Jan. 22 in the 200 block of N. Lincoln Avenue in Corona, police said.

Phillips was arrested after local businesses from Temecula, Murrieta and Lake Elsinore posted surveillance videos of a woman and her children stealing tip jars. In one Facebook post, the suspect is seen nudging her child then the child nabs a tip jar while employees are away.

A witness who saw the social media posts called Corona police after seeing a woman matching the description. Police arrested Phillips at a motel where she was staying with her children.

Phillips was arrested for a misdemeanor theft warrant from San Bernardino County and booked into the Corona Police Department jail. She denied participation in the thefts of the tip jars.

The Corona Police Department is currently investigating additional reports of tip jar thefts. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department was notified of Phillips’ arrest.

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