How Two Suspected Thieves Stole Christmas

WEBSTER COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Evidence in most of the related cases follow the same pattern, but there is one exception that’s right out of a Christmas classic.

Most of these cases are similar, with doors kicked in and guns taken.

However, Webster County deputies say one crime scene looked more like the old children’s story of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!”

“There was only one present that wasn’t wrapped. Most of them were wrapped and they took them from underneath the tree. At this time, we’re having trouble locating some of that stuff. In fact, we haven’t located any of that yet,” says Webster County Investigator Landon Griffin.

Griffin says that crime started off just like the others in the burglary ring.

“They actually went in and kicked a door in.”

It’s a sad and familiar scene to law enforcement during the holidays.

“That kind of speaks to your heart a little bit more, than just a normal burglary,” says Webster County Chief Deputy Jeff Mann.

Mann says criminals look at many things before targeting a home.

“Any homes that doesn’t have an alarm system, or a sign with a, you know, warning, saying alarm system. They look for that, they look for vehicles not being home, you know, anything of that nature. If they come by a house a couple of times, you know, multiple days and there are never vehicles there at those certain times, you know, they look at that.”

Law enforcement also say thieves jump from county to county to throw investigators off.

“By them doing that, I mean, we don’t have a clue that it’s them, and you know, that’s when that multi-county cooperation comes into play. Thank goodness that we all get along, county to county, and that’s how we solve a lot of these types of cases,” says Mann.

Deputies say enjoy the scenes of Christmas, but avoid posting pictures of presents under the tree on social media.

This helps prevent a real Grinch from coming inside your home and taking your holiday spirit and someone’s smile.

“I think it hurts worse during Christmas time,” says Mann.

Guns are a big ticket item for burglars.

Griffin also points out guns were stolen in the burglaries in Chickasaw County.