Booking photo of Anthony Helinski, of Lawrence, Mass.

SALEM, N.H. – A Massachusetts teacher has been charged with putting his toddler into a game machine at a New Hampshire shopping mall and using her to steal prizes.

Police in Salem say 34-year-old Anthony Helinski, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, turned himself in Wednesday, five days after witnesses at the Mall at Rockingham Park recorded video of a man encouraging the girl to hand out prizes from within the KeyMaster game. The video then shows the toddler climbing out of the machine.

Andover Public Schools tells WCVB-TV that Helinski has been placed on leave from his job as a middle school teacher.

Helinski is charged with theft, trespassing and child endangerment. He does not have a listed phone number and it was unclear whether he has an attorney.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.