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Man caught on camera stealing Christmas decorations in Orange County
FOX 35's Stephanie Buffamonte spoke to a woman who's Christmas decorations were taken from her front yard and the man was caught on camera. Police are still looking for the suspect in the video.
ORLANDO, Fla. - A Grinch stole a Hunters Creek family’s Christmas decorations from right outside their home while they were fast asleep. Now, the Orange County family is hoping the person is caught before Christmas Day.
The Vejar family was sleeping this past weekend when their home security caught a man taking several of their big Christmas decorations that were set up in front of their Hunter’s Creek home.
The family reported the theft to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
"It's so disappointing to see that people do that and just come and kind of take a little bit of your Christmas cheer," said the homeowner, Sylvia Vejar. "You spend the time, the effort to make your home look nice and then somebody just kind of comes home and takes it like two days before Christmas.
While this is one of the merriest times of the year, it’s also the heaviest crime season. Security experts tell FOX News if you have decorations outside, you should follow this advice:
Use motion-activated cameras: Install motion-activated security cameras to monitor your decorations. Many security cameras send real-time notifications to your phone, allowing you to act quickly if someone tampers with your property.
Secure decorations: Consider physically securing your decorations with zip ties, chains or locks. While this won't deter all thieves, it can make stealing more difficult and time-consuming.
Light it up: Well-lit areas are less appealing to thieves. Ensure your yard and decorations are adequately lit with outdoor lights, especially in dark corners or near entry points.
Engage your neighbors: Create a sense of community by alerting neighbors to thefts and keeping an eye out for suspicious activity. A connected neighborhood can act as a strong deterrent.
Mark your property: Use invisible ink or engrave your decorations with a unique identifier. If stolen items are recovered, this will help law enforcement return them to you.
Report thefts to local law enforcement: Always report thefts, no matter how small. Law enforcement can track patterns and increase patrols in areas with frequent incidents. Providing details may also help them recover stolen items.
The Vejar family has already brought in all of the decorations that they couldn’t tie down.
"We've basically brought inside everything that isn't just attached to the ground," said Vejar. "Next year, we're going to be looking into trying to make sure everything is secured so that you can't just kind of easily pick it up and walk away with it."
Home safety and security company "Safewise" says the holiday season leads to the most package thefts.
The company estimates more than one hundred 20 million packages were stolen in 20-23."It really sucks to do stuff like that to families. There's really no need," said Vejar. "I just don't see the point in taking stuff from other people that you haven't worked for."
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