Authorities say a thief stole $1,000 from a group of Girl Scouts who were selling cookies at a New Jersey mall.

Woodbridge Township police say the theft occurred between 4:20 p.m. and 4:50 p.m. Friday on the upper level of the Woodbridge Center mall.

The money - about $500 cash and several checks - had been placed in a bank envelope and left unattended on a table where members of Girl Scout Troop 80062 were making their sales.

Authorities say mall surveillance cameras captured a man picking up the envelope and putting it in his pocket. The man was apparently with an older woman using a red walker. The pair left the mall shortly before the theft was discovered.

The troop says that there is surveillance video of the theft, but Woodbridge police would not confirm if this was the case.

Troop leaders say that the whole point of Girl Scouts is to learn life lessons and give back to the community. They say that if someone needed the money that badly, it would have been better to just ask.

The troop continued to sell cookies after the theft Friday. They were back at the Woodbridge Center mall again on Monday.