In a real-life Grinch moment, a brazen thief was captured on doorbell camera stealing a six-foot Christmas tree from a mother's porch in Loughborough.
The Stolen Christmas Tree
The incident occurred on November 26 at approximately 8:26 pm at the home of Zoe Murray, a 52-year-old mother of ten. Ring doorbell footage shows a hooded figure approaching her property in Loughborough, Leicestershire, before forcefully yanking the large tree from its stand and fleeing down the street.
Zoe, who was indoors at the time, stated she "didn't hear a thing" during the theft. She only discovered her festive centrepiece was missing around 10:00 pm when she stepped outside to collect her daughter from work.
Discovery and Recovery
Upon returning home and checking her doorbell's live feed, Zoe was "stunned" by the footage. She immediately went to investigate and managed to retrieve the tree's ornaments and baubles, which she found scattered along the road near her home.
Later that evening, her daughter shared the footage on Facebook, prompting a local resident to comment that they had spotted the abandoned tree in a nearby park. The following day, Zoe collected the tree with her grandson.
All but one of the decorations were broken, and the lights were destroyed, having been ripped into five separate parts. Zoe expressed particular concern about the special decorations, though she was relieved to recover most of them.
Police Investigation and Aftermath
Leicestershire Police have been notified of the theft, though no arrests have been made at this time. Zoe, who cannot work due to a disability, speculated that the theft might have been the result of a dare among friends.
Despite the tree being returned, it has not been placed back outside. Zoe remarked, "I don't know why he went for the big one and not the two smaller ones on either side of my porch. But I'm glad to have it back."
