Toys 4 Tots alerts drop-off locations after impersonator steals toys

CHARLOTTE — A man is accused of impersonating someone from Toys 4 Tots and taking at least 150 donated toys Monday from a Huntersville dentist’s office.

Toys for Tots in need of donations as requests increase

“He came in and he was like, ‘I’m here to pick up the toys for Toys 4 Tots.’ (I) didn’t think nothing of it,” said Darrin Garcia.

The imposter was wearing a Toys 4 Tots hoodie.

“I kind of helped him -- he went to his vehicle,” Garcia said. “He kind of did two trips, and they said, ‘All right, well, we’ll be back next week.’”

Garcia said her manager called Toys 4 Tots the next day to ask if they could come back to pick up more toys from the bin.

That was when officials with the nonprofit said they were never there to begin with.

“She’s like, ‘Yeah, he was not with Toys 4 Tots,’ and that’s when my stomach just dropped,” Garcia said. “Who would do that? It’s Christmas. Who’s going to be that Grinch to steal the stuff?”

Toys 4 Tots said it received the tip from the dentist’s office and learned an older man disguised as active-duty personnel was driving a green Subaru.

“It’s very disappointing, just because we are struggling, just with our numbers,” said Sgt. Jocelyn Barrera-Sanchez, Toys 4 Tots coordinator.

Barrera-Sanchez told Channel 9 last week they were short on inventory for distribution.

This incident hurts the organization even more, she said.

“With the amount of requests that we have gotten, and to have somebody just take taking that away from the people that are going to need it is it’s, it’s very sad,” she said.

They’ve alerted drop-off locations.

“We have let them know to ask for military ID, and it should say that they are active duty, and that’s really it,” Barrera-Sanchez said. “We have notified them what vehicles they will be driving. Their vehicles also have Toys 4 Tot’s logo on it.”

Garcia said the man’s ill intentions brought her to tears.

>>CLICK here if you would like to donate to Toys 4 Tots. They are accepting toys until Sunday.

Here is a list of drop-off locations.

“I kind of cried, because I felt like I assisted him on that,” Garcia said. “And these kids need toys -- You know, this is the spirit of the holiday.”

VIDEO: Toys for Tots in need of donations as requests increase