HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - Several South Florida houses have been targeted by holiday Grinches trying to steal Christmas lawn decorations.
Homeowners in Miami-Dade and Broward counties have captured crooks trying to steal Christmas decorations on surveillance camera, and they’re hoping the clue can lead to the capture of the vandals.
Julia Lopez, who lives in Hollywood, saw on her home surveillance a group of vandals trying to take the light-up candy canes from her front lawn.
“It’s upsetting because you want to make things pretty and nice, and they come and vandalize it,” Lopez said.
One of the burglars from the group could be seen trying to grab the candy canes, but they didn’t get away with it.
“They saw the moment of opportunity, ‘Hey, let’s get some candy canes,’ just to be mischievous or whatever and grabbed them, and it just so happened they were tied to the other end,” Lopez said.
The vandals then bolted to their car empty handed from the scene near South 24th Avenue and Jackson Street on Dec. 11.
“It hurts, you know, it hurts. I fix the house for Christmas because my kids come over and my grandkids, so they can see it nice, and here they come to mess it up,” Lopez said. “I’m just glad they weren’t able to steal them.”
This is the latest crime in a string of holiday thefts.
On Dec. 14, surveillance video captured a crook taking off with several ornaments from a Davie home.
Police said the thief, who tried to conceal herself, hit several homes between Interstate 75 and Southwest 160th Avenue and took off with a laser light display and inflatable decorations.
In another holiday heist on Dec. 7 in Hollywood, a Christmas crook was seen snatching an inflatable Santa as an accomplice stole Mickey and Minnie Mouse Christmas plushes from the front porch of a home on the 6600 block of Thomas Street.
“They’re children here,” said a homeowner. “You’re taking away from the kids. That’s what Christmas is all about.”
Another house on Dec. 8 was burglarized in Southwest Miami-Dade. In this case, a thief ran off with a pair of Mickey and Minnie Mouse ornaments from the front lawn of a house near Southwest 110th Street and 69th Drive.
As crooks across South Florida look to spoil the season for many, Lopez has a message to those responsible.
“Don’t mess up Christmas for other people. You’d hate for that to happen to your family, you understand?” Lopez said. “Don’t mess it up for other people.”
If you have any information on any of these crooks or burglaries, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS or Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a cash reward.
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