Grinch targets Christmas decorations in Horizon West

The Horizon West area might have a “Grinch” on the loose, considering the handful of residents who have reported missing holiday decorations in the past couple of weeks

On Dec. 6, Independence community resident Anthony Devescovi posted on NextDoor that his family’s Christmas light projector was stolen from his front yard — along with a video that captured the burglary.

“This person stole our Christmas light projector Saturday AM,” Devescovi wrote. “If anyone recognizes him or his truck I’d like to have a conversation with him. You can zoom in and see his face briefly.”

The surveillance video shows a man pulling up to the house in a truck, getting out and walking up on the lawn. He then appears to unplug the projector, run with it back to his truck and drive off.

Just down the road in Oasis Cove, Frank Havlicek had an illuminated Snoopy and Woodstock go missing Dec. 1. His wife had put them out front only a day before.

“She decorated the whole front (lawn) and then she was down visiting my daughter, and the next thing you know someone had taken them,” Havlicek said. “When my daughter got home from work, they were gone.”

Havlicek decided to put up a flyer and offer a reward for the missing decorations, hoping someone would come forward. But it’s not about the money so much as he hopes to catch the person who took them, the Chicago native said.

“In Chicago, we have people that take packages,” he said. “I feel like it’s a funny thing to do (to take decorations), and for whatever reasons. I don’t know the game, I don’t know if they’re reselling stuff or what they’re doing. I have no idea what the motive is behind this. It’s just kind of weird that someone would want to do that.”

Because Oasis Cove is a gated community, Havlicek thinks that someone might be driving around and following residents into the communities. He wanted to let his neighbors know to keep an eye out for unusual movement or suspicious activity. 

After his decorations went missing, he filed a police report and invested in a security system.

“It’s definitely someone driving around and throwing them in the trunk and seeing what they can get away with,” he said. “Nobody wants to have something taken and then worry about what’s happening in the neighborhood.”

Whether the two incidents are related is unknown, but the Orange County Sheriff’s Office recently shared some tips for better ensuring lawn decorations stay in the yard.

Ensure that decorations are staked down as firm as can be, and deflate any inflatables before going to bed. OCSO also recommends using a timer on the lights so they’re not on all night. If residents feel they need to, they can also take decorations inside the house or garage.

“If you see something, say something,” OCSO posted on Facebook. “Report suspicious activity to the Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line at (407) 836-4357 or 911 in an emergency.”