Stolen snowman finds his way back home
Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2003 8:19 am
LARGO, Fla. (Court TV) — At least one Frosty the Snowman is truly a jolly, happy soul.
That is because the 12-foot inflatable snowman is back at his perch on Sandy Brown's front lawn.
Brown, 36, called the Pinellas County Sheriff's office last weekend to report the chunky Christmas character missing.
In the early morning of Nov. 29, Brown's brother reportedly heard the sounds of Frosty being deflated, followed by a car speeding away.
"Every time you get a holiday when people put decorations out, you are going to get some people who will steal them," Det. Tim Goodman said.
Brown, who bought the snowman for about $110 from a Lowe's department store, was preparing to circulate flyers in her neighborhood. She didn't plan to press charges. All she wanted was Frosty's safe return.
Then Brown got an early Christmas miracle; two of them, actually.
After reading a local newspaper story about the crime, a St. Petersburg Lowe's store gave the family a replacement snowman. Then, just after Brown's husband picked up the new Frosty, a woman showed up at the Browns' door.
She had the original Frosty. A foster child she had been caring for had stolen it, she reportedly told Brown. The woman also had read about the missing Frosty in the local newspaper.
As for thwarting future inflatable ornament offenses, Det. Goodman regretfully could not offer any holiday hints.
"Those new inflatable things are so big you can't take them down at night," he said. "If you put up decorations you can only hope people don't take them down."
That is because the 12-foot inflatable snowman is back at his perch on Sandy Brown's front lawn.
Brown, 36, called the Pinellas County Sheriff's office last weekend to report the chunky Christmas character missing.
In the early morning of Nov. 29, Brown's brother reportedly heard the sounds of Frosty being deflated, followed by a car speeding away.
"Every time you get a holiday when people put decorations out, you are going to get some people who will steal them," Det. Tim Goodman said.
Brown, who bought the snowman for about $110 from a Lowe's department store, was preparing to circulate flyers in her neighborhood. She didn't plan to press charges. All she wanted was Frosty's safe return.
Then Brown got an early Christmas miracle; two of them, actually.
After reading a local newspaper story about the crime, a St. Petersburg Lowe's store gave the family a replacement snowman. Then, just after Brown's husband picked up the new Frosty, a woman showed up at the Browns' door.
She had the original Frosty. A foster child she had been caring for had stolen it, she reportedly told Brown. The woman also had read about the missing Frosty in the local newspaper.
As for thwarting future inflatable ornament offenses, Det. Goodman regretfully could not offer any holiday hints.
"Those new inflatable things are so big you can't take them down at night," he said. "If you put up decorations you can only hope people don't take them down."
