SAN DIEGO -- A young Mira Mesa boy lost his Christmas gift, and he said someone claims to have found it, but refuses to give it back.
Chris Leborne has been saving his allowance for a year so he can buy himself a drone. He couldn't believe it when his sister bought him one for Christmas.
"When I was opening the present, I was like, 'Oh my goodness.' I was not expecting this at all," the 12-year-old told 10News.
His father, Bob, added, "He was just so excited. You should have seen the smile on his face. It was amazing."
Father and son went to a nearby park for the drone's first test flight, but disaster struck.
"I lost sight of it because I accidentally ran behind the tree without realizing it was there. And then I lost sight of it and it was gone," Chris said.
The family put together "lost drone" posters and hung them in parks and lampposts around the neighborhood. They also posted about the lost drone on the community website Nextdoor, and they received a response.
A person using the name Marcia Davis replied to the Lebornes' Nextdoor post, saying: "You buy a $900 toy for your 12-year-old and some of us can barely pay our bills. Of course it's going to get lost."
Davis added: "I know how upset you must be that you bought an outlandish gift for your son. Good life lesson for you and your son."
Finally, Davis posted: "I found your drone … I'm keeping it."
"That's just evil. I don't know why, I really don't," said Leborne.
Chris said, "I would like for her to return it and apologize for being mean to us."
10News tracked down a nearby address listed for a Marcia Davis, but did not get an answer at the residence.
A woman who said she was Davis contacted 10News reporter Jeff Lasky and told him she did not have the drone and she was "messing with them."
When told what the woman said, Bob Leborne said part of him is relieved but he has also lost a little more hope that his son's drone will ever be found.
Many in the neighborhood have reached out to the Lebornes to help them look for the drone, with some even offering to buy Chris a new one.
