MARION COUNTY, Fla. - The Marion County Sheriff’s Office says a 14-year-old student at Lake Weir Middle School broke into her grandparents’ safe and stole about $13,500 in cash – half her grandmother’s life savings left over after she’d sold her house.
Then, the sheriff’s office says the girl started handing the cash out to people at school.Parents got a voicemail from Lake Weir Middle School’s principal about that incident Thursday, asking the adults to give their kids a call.
Michelle Spaulding obliged."That’s when she was like, ‘Yeah, mom! The child did come up to me and ask me if I wanted $100,'" said Spaulding. "And she said, ‘No, it’s got to be stolen, I don’t want nothing to do with it.’"Since Spaulding got that call, this has turned into a criminal investigation."I really hope it gets recovered, because that’s so devastating.
I feel really bad for the family," said Spaulding.The girl accused of stealing the money told deputies a friend who’d moved away gave it to her to hand out.