Mumma’s Eats n Sweets owner Tracie Dunbar said her daughter Jordan was serving in the kitchen when she saw the man take a charity lolly box from the front counter.
CCTV shows quick-thinking Jordan walk from the kitchen and simply take the lollies back from the man.
Ms Dunbar, who has owned the business since 2007, said this was not the first time her daughter had played the hero.
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Ms Dunbar said similar incidents had happened before.
“We don’t have a tip jar out because it gets stolen repeatedly,” she said.
“Last week someone even stole a bottle of Worcestershire sauce.”
Ms Dunbar said her family business was a “really nice” place to work.
“But the crackheads and druggies drive us up the wall,” she said.
Mandurah officer-in-charge Stephen Thompson said police had been conducting operations on Mandurah Terrace for the last few months.
“We don’t encourage shopkeepers to engage with would-be thieves,” he said.
“We would rather they call us and we will attend. It’s nice it’s worked out OK in this case though.”
Sgt Thompson said there was another case downtown on Tuesday where shopkeepers apprehended and held an alleged thief on their premises until police arrived.