On Dec. 2, Christmas decorations worth hundreds of dollars were reportedly stolen from three houses in the Country Estates, an offense Crime Prevention Specialist Barbara Wallace says is hard to prevent.
“Unforutanely [the decorations] are easy to remove,” Wallace said. “The only option is to take them in, which kind of ruins the Christmas spirit.”
The sheriff's department listed three separate incidents of petty theft of Christmas decorations on Dec. 2 on the 16200 block of Arena Drive and 24000 block of De Amo Road.
Wallace said that you can use stakes in the ground to tie down big decorations in your yard, but that unless you're constantly watching your yard, it's hard to prevent someone from stealing the cheerful additions to your house.
“If they’re not attached, people just walk by and take them,” Wallace said, saying the only option may be to bring in your decorations at night before you go to bed.
The crime prevention specialist said people steal the decorations for two reasons: They want them for themselves or they could be doing it as some sort of a vandalism.
"You would normally expect it to be someone younger,” Wallace said. “They’re just having what they think is fun, but it’s fun that ruins someone elses Christmas or holiday.”
Wallace said that holiday crime, like the stealing of decorations, happens everywhere and is "unfortunate," since most people put up decorations so that others can enjoy them.
“Be aware,” she said. “And if you see someone walking down the street with a snowman, know it’s probably not theirs.”
If you see someone stealing decorations or have any information regarding the thefts, call up the Ramona Substation at 760-789-9157.
