Man Caught Stealing Candy From Orange County School, Police Say

NEWBURGH, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A man was caught stealing candy from children, police say.

Newly installed security cameras at Leptondale Elementary School in Orange County were rolling as the man, later identified as 34-year-old Vincent Gaudio, moved box after box filled with candy for the students to sell, CBS2's Lou Young reported.

"There were 28 cases. He carried a couple of them at a time to his vehicle," Newburgh Town Police Chief Bruce Campbell said.

It was a crime of opportunity. The man was not an intruder. He was someone authorized to be there for an after school activity.

He saw the unlocked door and the unattended candy -- the kind students sell door-to-door, in this case to raise money for a band field trip -- and in a moment of weakness, he made his move. But he also made a big mistake, Young reported.

"He dropped, he says, a tablet or a bag containing a tablet, and came back to the school two more times for it," Campbell said.

By that time, school officials noticed the candy was missing and recognized him as the man seen in the surveillance videos.

After Gaudio was arrested, most of the stolen candy was returned to the school, where educators were more perplexed than angry.

"I guess he's got a craving for candy, I don't know. Thankfully we got it all back and have generous people out there who may donate money to fill the void of the candy we didn't get back. Not really clear where that is," Superintendent Kevin Castle said.

Police suspect Gaudio might have sold some of it, which really rubbed residents the wrong way.

"I think it's pretty awful and I can't really say on TV what I really think," neighbor Harry Decker said.

The returned candy is selling well now that it's back in the hands of students. It was valued at about $1,600.