ESCONDIDO, Calif. (KGTV) -- An Escondido family said their beloved Christmas display was attacked Saturday night by vandals with BB guns.
The Pimentel family was hosting their 6th annual Christmas pajama party. Around 11:30 p.m., five kids ages 5 to 11 years old were playing in the living room when mother Stephanie Pimentel heard tapping. She said it sounded like light rain drops.
When she went outside to investigate, she said she saw a black Nissan driving away and brass BBs embedded in her home's exterior.
"I went to mad, then I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I need to protect my kids, I need to protect my family,’” said Pimental. “Then I was bummed because now I have to spend money on more Christmas presents."
The next morning, Stephanie and her husband, Ramiro, surveyed the extent of the damage. They found one BB punctured their living room window, where the children were watching “The Polar Express.”
She had this message for the vandals: "Don't do it, you're putting everyone at risk. I mean, this time we got lucky, what if next time we're not?"
The Pimentels said they filed a police report Sunday. They believe the six inflatables decorating their lawn were the target of the attack.
Those inflatables hold precious memories. The couple are high school sweethearts and when they moved into their home, each year they have added an inflatable, celebrating that year's accomplishments.
The first, a polar bear, takes the longest time to blow up. The newest this year is the nutcracker.
"You can't do Christmas without a nutcracker," Pimental said.
Her younger son, Frankie's, favorite is Rudolph.
Since the attack, the family is nervous about blowing up their decorations, concerned they will be targeted again.
They hope spreading the word will keep everyone in the neighborhood on alert and discourage the vandals from causing more trouble.
