By Nicole Falco
The thefts occurred sometime between 7 p.m. on Dec. 26 and 7 the following morning. The figurines were discovered on the lawn by a school custodian, who found them lined up in rows near the flag pole.
"We've wrapped them up and they are bagged ... so if a resident is missing one, they can come down and take a look in our shed to see if we have it," said Dr. Edward Fale, District 24 superintendent of schools.
So far, six residents have reclaimed their Jesus figurines from the school. "I was so happy to see mine," said Virginia Stone, who picked hers up Dec. 29. "It wasn't the cost of it, because I could have replaced it - it was just the thought that someone would take it."
According to Stone, who lives on Kenmore Road, she first discovered that her statuette was missing on the evening of Dec. 27. She quickly scanned her neighbor's front lawn, but discovered that theirs had not been taken. "Not knowing what to do, I did nothing," she said.
"I kept looking, hoping he would reappear or somebody would find it," Stone said of the focal point of her nativity scene.
The next evening, she learned that her neighbor's baby Jesus had been stolen, and that the neighbor had somehow learned that a number of figurines had been left on the Buck school's lawn. "I was so relieved to get him back," Stone said. "It was a gift to my mother, who had always wanted a nativity. We add to it every year."
Marijo Sensale, a Catherine Street resident, was stunned when she learned that both her figurine and a neighbor's had been stolen. "I just couldn't understand, with all of the decorations I have on my front lawn, why someone would choose that," Sensale said. "Why the baby Jesus? I thought that was very cruel."
Sensale, who has witnessed her share of unusual incidents over the years, including once finding 10 gnomes on her front steps, was relieved to learn that the Buck school might have her baby Jesus. "It's not of any real value," she said. "Only the value of what a person feels spiritually."
While Stone filed a police report Dec. 28, and the district said it notified police that the figurines were left on school property, Officer Stan Slevinski, 5th Precinct crime analyst, said that no other reports had been filed. Police believe the thefts were part of a teenage prank and are not bias-related.
On Monday, it was reported that a similar incident occurred in New Jersey. Four teens, who range in age from 15 to 19, are accused of stealing 27 baby Jesus figurines from churches and homes, intending to burn them. Last week, 14 were reported stolen in a California community.
Comments about this story? NFalco@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 208.
