Man Breaks into Store to Steal Lottery Tickets, Police on the Trail

A man broke into Jeanne’s Corner Grocery & Deli on Shunk Street in South Philadelphia and made off with a counter of lottery tickets, resulting in the theft of dozens of tickets.

Lottery Tickets and Suspect Missing, But POlice Have an Idea of Who He May Be

The act was caught on security tapes, with the culprit still unknown and missing, and the incident took place on April 26, 2026, at 3:30 am. The culprit gained access to the store with a sledgehammer and took a cabinet with scratch-off lottery tickets before he fled the scene. 

Police were quick to act and used neighboring camera footage to try to get a visual confirmation of the man, who was captured on surveillance video on the 2600 block of Rosewood Street, and then in the 1400 block of Snyder Avenue.

The police were also able to get a visual confirmation of the man, with officers now urging assistance by reaching out to the Philadelphia Police Department at 215-686-TIPS (8477), or calling 911 immediately if seeing the suspect. 

The Blemish on an Otherwise Immaculate Plan 

While stealing lottery tickets might seem like a good idea at face value, there is one inherent flaw in this otherwise masterful plan. Lottery tickets are issued in tracked batches with unique serial numbers, meaning stolen books can often be identified once reported missing.

When theft is discovered, retailers notify the state lottery, and the affected ticket range can be flagged for increased scrutiny.

In other words, if the thief attempts to cash a stolen ticket, it may be detected during validation or payout, potentially triggering an investigation and leading to arrest.