Halloween Grinch Caught On Camera Stealing Lawn Display In Midlothian
MIDLOTHIAN, Ill. (CBS) -- A woman was caught on camera stealing a Halloween display from a family's yard.
As CBS 2's Jermont Terry reported Monday night, the thief took much more than just decorations.
Around Midlothian, you'll find the Halloween spirit outside many homes. Felicia Johnson's display consumed plenty of her time.
"Maybe like four hours," she said. "It doesn't look like a lot, but these are all individual pieces."
The pieces were strategically placed in the yard to offer a bit of normalcy for Halloween 2020.
"Given the year, I feel like this gives the kids excitement," Johnson said.
Yet late one night, a Halloween Grinch pulled up on the block. She got out and stole the Halloween display, before jumping right back into the passenger side of a car.
She tried to steal much of the display, but quickly discovered the items weren't just sitting there in the grass.
"These are all staked into the ground and there's cords, because everything is plugged in with the lights," Johnson said.
Johnson was disturbed by the act, but just as troubled by the fact that it appeared an adult was behind it.
"You don't touch people's property," she said. "You came on my property and took my stuff and then vandalized some other items."
Johnson called police. What they told her was not reassuring.
"They said say once it happens, it will usually happen 10 more times to other people," she said.
So Johnson and her children are hoping the Halloween Grinch will not destroy any other displays, because right now, this was the only sense of normalcy for her oldest son.
"All of his Halloween festivities in school and with his friends are canceled, so we do our decorations every year, you know, to be festive," she said, "and for this to happen and for him to see that it was gone, it is very disheartening to me."
And while it's disheartening, let's not forget that these displays can be pricey too.
"These things are not cheap. They are not cheap. They look nice," Johnson said. "I mean, it's for the kids, so how dare you?"