LOWELL, Mass. — A woman was caught on camera stealing Christmas decorations from a Lowell couple's front porch.
The victims printed out a screenshot of the suspect on their porch and showed their neighbors. A tip from one neighbor and help from police led them one street away.
And only Boston 25 News was there on Tuesday as police reunited them with their stolen decorations.
"Who would do that? Who does that?" said Kannara Keo, who was stunned to watch on her security camera as a stranger boldly stole her holiday decorations from her porch.
"I was appalled. I was amazed, and then my heart was pounding," Keo said.
Keo and Vazz Eang installed their security camera after their fall decorations were stolen last year.
That didn't deter the most recent thief, who made two trips between her car and the porch.
"She ends up unhooking the reindeer and she starts to walk off, and as she walks off, she grabs the wreath," Eang said. "It’s almost like she’s at a department store or something. She just grabs it off the door and then she’s on her merry way."
A neighbor thought he recognized the thief.
During our interview with Eang and Keo, police arrived asking the couple to identify the stolen property.
A Boston 25 news crew walked with them about a tenth of a mile to the suspect's home, where they recovered their items.
The decorations were loaded into a cruiser to be photographed as evidence. While leaving, the suspect arrived home and denied her involvement.
"What are you talking about? This is all mine," the suspect said of the decorations. She is not being identified because she has not been charged with a crime.
Police said they will issue a criminal summons for theft, if Keo and Eang decide to file a charge.
"I’m happy that we got our stuff back. I’m happy, and I hope she stops doing it," Keo said.
Boston 25 News tried to speak with the suspect behind a closed door; she simply insisted the decorations were hers but declined further comment.
Keo and Eang said they're not sure if they will file a theft charge since it is the holiday season.
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