HOUSTON – An Independence Heights family had a rude awakening Monday morning when they realized their life-size Nutcracker decoration on the front porch vanished in the middle of the night.
The homeowner, who asked not to be identified, then checked their doorbell camera and saw the thief walk up to their front porch near East 34th Street just a few minutes before 2 a.m. on Monday.
“She took the time to unplug the Nutcracker, she even looked at the camera and just left,” the homeowner said. “It just amazed me that there’s people out there just stealing nutcrackers.”
It came as a bit of a shock, because she said they’ve never even had a package stolen and always feel safe in their neighborhood.
The outdoor décor had only been there for about a week, she said, and it wasn’t just any decoration.
“It’s my baby’s first Christmas. So it was very valuable,” she said. “It made her laugh every time that she saw the Nutcracker. So, it made... our day sometimes when we saw the Nutcracker.”
The sentimental statue was just purchased and put together over Thanksgiving by the baby’s grandparents, she said. With little time left to replace it, she hopes someone recognizes who took it or the Nutcracker finds its way home.
“It’s not the actual Nutcracker itself. It’s just, like you’re saying, the holidays and the meaning that it had for the house,” she said.
She plans to report the theft to Houston Police and for any future outdoor decorations will make sure they’re secure.
Share your outdoor holiday décor images, or thieves caught in the act, with KPRC 2 at Click2Pins.com.