A South Bay couple goes all out in decorating their home. Hundreds flock to see it every year -- but this year, it was vandalized.
“This is our gift to the community,” Gigi Hermes said.
Every year, the Hermes couple set up hundreds of Christmas decorations outside their Chula Vista home.
“We love what we do or we wouldn't be doing it,” Gus Hermes
The kids of course, love it as well.
“They say, ‘whoa, this is awesome, this is awesome. I’ve never seen such things before’,” Gigi said.
From inflatable Santa’s to moving reindeers, Gus and Gigi have their work cut out for them. It takes them about a month to set everything up. They estimate they have about 50,000 Christmas lights around their home.
But three nights before Christmas, someone we can only describe as the Grinch, targeted the home.
“There was an SUV, came down the road, he did a U-turn, and he sat there for approximately two minutes. He put the car in gear and went up over the curb and he ran over two of my reindeer,” Gus said.
Surveillance cameras caught the driver in the act, but the video was too grainy to see a license plate.
Still, this couple's holiday spirit is much too strong. They counted their losses and once again opened everything up.
Including their wallets.
”$800 to $1,000 just a year on new items,” Gus said.
Still, they say it's a small price to pay for all the joy it brings to the neighborhood children.
The Chula Vista Police Department is investigating this case. In the meantime, this couple says all neighborhood children are welcome to stop by and take a look at their holiday decorations.
