| Updated: 12/04/2012 9:23 am |
Published: 12/03/2012 9:16 pm
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The Gardner family nativity scene is missing its most important piece, Baby Jesus.
The family says sometime Saturday night, someone stole the statue of the infant from their front yard near 81st Street and Sheridan Road.
“It's just heartbreaking, and when we found it, we were in tears, we were in tears,” Cyndie Gardner told FOX23 Monday.
The Gardner home has many Christmas decorations to celebrate the season, but the missing Baby Jesus is hard for this family to look past.
“For someone to take Baby Jesus out of the manger, that's like a desecration. That's like an unholy act, it's just a horrible thing,” Cyndie said.
On Sunday morning, the family woke to find in Baby Jesus's place was a white chicken egg. Even more upsetting, the statue has special significance to the family.
“My husband is Jewish, and I am Christian,” Gardner said, “He considers himself to be a Messianic Jew, and they believe that Jesus is the Messiah. His father came to believe that before he died, and he bought that to commemorate for that us.”
Cyndie thinks she knows who's responsible.
“I suspect it was probably some kids who were partying on a Saturday night.”
Her neighbor agrees and says whoever took the Baby Jesus should have a very heavy conscience.
“Shame on you, shame on you. It's Christmas time, it's the holidays and that is just not funny. Return it,” Erika Wyatt said.
Cyndie says if someone does return the statue, they won't walk away empty handed.
“I wanted to make people aware that there were people capable of this driving by in our neighborhood. If somebody comes up with Baby Jesus I am, going to hand them some cash no questions asked. I want the Baby Jesus back.”
The family says these exact statues are not being produced anymore, so they cannot simply buy a replacement. They have filed an online police report with the Tulsa Police Department.
TPD says this case would be most likely classified as a larceny.
