A serial bandit as cuddly as a cactus and as charming as an eel has been stealing toys from an Atlanta nonprofit devoted to giving Christmas gifts to children in need.
"We're not going to let one Grinch steal Christmas, but it has proven very difficult to keep him out of our building," said Manda Hunt, executive director of The Empty Stocking Fund, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Hunt said the problems started in 2020 after the nonprofit, which has been serving disadvantaged children in Atlanta and across Georgia since 1927, moved into a 24,000-square-foot warehouse in southwest Atlanta. The break-ins started last holiday season and have accelerated this year, including five over a weekend in November.
Despite surveillance footage catching the person responsible for the break-ins, Hunt told WXIA-TV on Thursday police have been unable to find a suspect. Hunt said in some break-ins, alarm systems have sounded, but when police arrived, the suspect was not found.
"This is one person who is incredibly industrious," Hunt told WXIA-TV. "And if he had only put that hard work toward good, imagine what he could accomplish."
The Journal-Constitution reported the thefts have been costly in ways that go beyond the price of replacing stolen toys. The nonprofit has had to repair damage to the building and has used some of its donated funds to pay for a security officer to monitor the warehouse at night.
The nonprofit's leadership might explore other locations if the thievery continues. The Empty Stocking Fund has moved parts of its holiday distribution work to a different location.
"All in this year alone, we're probably at $10,000 lost," Hunt said. "And those are kids we could've served."
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