Caught On Video: Halloween Decorations Snatched From Riverside County Homes
RIVERSIDE (CBSLA) — A rash of Halloween decoration heists have hit Riverside County homes that are decked out for the holiday.
The Peppito family posted home security video of one man getting out of an SUV Monday to snatch a skeleton in a picnic chair in front of their house in Riverside. The thief apparently couldn't get the skeleton's right arm free and simply left it behind, tangled up in the chair.
"We were a little outraged, you know. We thought, 'why would somebody do that?'" Marcella Peppito said. "It's a skeleton. And they're not expensive, so why would they?"
In the skeleton's place, a cardboard sign now reads, "Some Jerk Stole My Body! PS. We Have you on Camera!"
The Peppitos didn't call the police because the cost of the skeleton was just $25. But when they posted the video on social media, other people chimed in with their Halloween decoration thefts.
One homeowner in Hemet caught someone stealing their large inflatables from their yard over the weekend, while another thief was seen stealing a projector light from a home in Perris last week. Each theft was caught on video.
Peppito says she won't stop displaying Halloween decorations – but she plans to place some of them in harder-to-reach spots.