They’re calling it a “lambnapping.”
The pastor at Holy Cross Church in Rumson says a young thief stole several of the figures from the parish Christmas manger on Ward Avenue at 4 a.m. Thursday.
The crime was captured on videotape.
Here’s the background, as published on Reverend Michael Manning’s blog Saturday:
Jesus and the baby lambs are taken in from the creche each evening for safe keeping. The larger figures are difficult to move, but not apparently hard enough.
One lamb has mysteriously returned, and the donkey which was taken from the creche was left by the curb. Police are enhancing the original video which is of higher quality than this YouTube mpeg.
The life size Nativity figures were donated by parishioners in memory of loved ones.
We can hope that the remaining lamb is returned in time for Christmas.