MARYSVILLE – Vernetta Carlson is hoping Jesus and Mary come home for Christmas.
The two were stolen from her front-yard Nativity scene earlier this month, Carlson said. The 2-foot-tall figure of Mary holding baby Jesus was part of a set that included Joseph, sheep, a shepherd and wise men, but only Mary and Jesus were taken.
“Last week I was putting up the Christmas tree and saw a family looking at the Nativity scene, and one of the kids said, ‘Where’s baby Jesus?’” Carlson said. “I had to tell them what happened.”
Carlson collected the set over the past four years, she said, and sets it up in front of her home in the 12900 block of 56th Avenue NE in Marysville every year.
“I would love to have them back,” she said. “I don’t care who took them.”
Police say such thefts are difficult to prevent when decorations are left outside. And if stolen, the figures are unlikely to be recovered.
“Everybody loves to drive by and see the displays, and it’s really sad that someone would steal from them. There’s no benefit to it,” said Becky Erk, a spokeswoman for the Mill Creek Police Department.
Christmas lights and a 6-foot decorative white sleigh valued at $200 were reported stolen from homes on 163rd Place SE, 28th Drive SE and Village Green Drive Dec. 2, she said.
“There’s no failsafe way to protect your decorations, other than relying on your neighbors and watching out for each other,” Erk said. “And use your better judgment in the amount of money you pay for them.”
Reporter Katherine Schiffner: 425-339-3436 or schiffner@ heraldnet.com.
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