LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) — Two real-life Grinches were caught on camera stealing Christmas decorations from a photography studio in Long Beach.
The brazen theft happened Tuesday at around 2:30 a.m. outside of F/8 Studios Long Beach, right across from California Heights United Methodist Church in the California Heights area of Long Beach.
Video clearly shows the faces of the thieves, a man and a woman, as they were stealing the vintage holiday blow molds.
“They proceeded to break the tie that tied them to the post, and unplug them, just nonchalant as can be, grabbed them, and put them in the back seat of their car,” said Michael Farmer, F/8 Studios co-owner. “I don’t know how you can sleep at night, with your decorations up at your house that you stole”.
Farmer said he loves his tight knit community, especially during the holidays. He dresses as Santa Clauss and is a sponsor for the Cal Heights Christmas tree lighting. But he said seeing people come from outside the community and commit crime.
He said unfortunately this is not the first time the studio has been robbed.
Back in July, surveillance video captured another break-in at the business.
Burglars forced their way inside the studio and stole $50,000 in camera equipment. Farmer said he tracked his cameras, which were being sold online, and alerted police.
“Even though I know who stole my stuff, nothing has come of it. So now when two things worth a couple hundred dollars are stolen, there is no use talking to Long Beach PD,” he said.
Farmer hopes the pair in the latest robbery get reprimanded one way or another.
“If it’s not legal consequences, you have to have your family and friends look at you and say ‘You really stole from Santa?’ and maybe that will make them think twice in the future”, said Farmer.
Other businesses in the California Heights area have also been hit by recent thefts.
Farmer said he isn’t letting the latest incident put a damper on his holiday cheer or impact the interactive Santa experience, which is currently in its fifth year at his photography studio.
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