'Twas a couple weeks before Christmas and for the 13th year, after a month of decorating, Ruben Lopez had finally transformed his San Diego-area home into a holiday extravaganza.
“This is a labor of love, something I like to do,” said Lopez.
Throughout the holiday season people stop by to enjoy the festival of lights at his home on Reo Drive in the Paradise Hills neighborhood.
Early Wednesday, however, when just a few creatures were stirring, a surveillance camera caught his snowman as he began to walk away.
“The snowman was right here," he showed NBC 7, pointing at an empty space.
A closer look at the video showed the snowman didn’t walk off on his own.The cameras caught what appeared to be someone in a gray hoodie swiping the decoration.
A dark-colored car drove away from the home seconds later.
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“It’s just frustrating someone would come and violate our decorations," said Lopez' wife Katy.
“Not only did you hurt me, you hurt the community. You hurt the little kids that come to this house,” added Ruben.
San Diego Police are now investigating the theft.
