CARLSBAD, Calif. (KGTV) - Tuesday night a teen was seen on camera stealing a decoration right off a home's walkway.
The Klus family moved to Bressi Ranch three months ago, from Boston, and were thrilled to become part of the neighborhood tradition.
"I'm totally blown away I had no idea it was this extensive and this creative and it's incredible the scenes of it come up with the kids are loving it," Visitor Amanda Alcorn said.
"When we moved here the kids were super excited super pumped to be included in the decorating," Nora Klus said. She has a daughter in 5th grade and a son in 2nd grade.
They transformed their entry into Skele-topia, a night at the movies.
Wednesday morning she noticed something was wrong. She looked at the footage on her Ring Neighbors Appfrom the night before, "I saw a few, it looked like teenagers, and then the last one in the group just snatched our little decoration."
"My son was crushed, he was like why would anyone do that?" She said.
The same question posed in other neighborhoods where similar thefts, like a beloved cat decoration in Carmel Mountain, and pumpkin smashing happened all over the county.
Klus flipped her theft into a teachable moment, "We talked about stealing and, you know, what they would do if they were with friends who want to steal something."
"You just hate that someone would sort of diminished from that, take away from all the time and money put into it," Alcorn said.
Both Alcorn and Klus hoping the thief has a change of heart. "I hope that we can kinda just move forward and maybe that little person who took that will return it to us," Klus said.
Klus put up a sign right next to where the decoration was replaced, reading, "Smile, you're on camera" hoping to deter potential thieves.
