Thieves have stolen two baby Jesus figurines from a nativity scene outside a Downers Grove business and the owner believes those responsible have a “grudge against Jesus.”
“There was a time and a place where you just didn’t mess with Jesus,” said Henry Schmidt, who owns both the manger scene and Moldtronics Inc., a high-end machining business in Downers Grove. “I’m going to put another (baby Jesus) up. I’m not giving up, I’m not afraid.”
Schmidt told police that the first baby Jesus figurine was stolen sometime last week from his business in the 700 block of Rogers Street. He later replaced it without giving much thought to the theft, police said.
But then sometime late Friday night or early Saturday morning a second Baby Jesus figurine was stolen, police said.
“At this point we have no suspects, no nothing,” said Sgt. Dave Bormann of the Downers Grove Police Department “We don’t know if it is a prank, or kids walking by taking him.”
Joseph, Mary, the three Wise Men and all of the other figures in the manger scene were left alone and remain unharmed. The estimated value of the stolen figurines was about $60, according to a police report.
Schmidt told police he believed whoever was stealing the figurines has a “grudge against Jesus,” police said.
Bormann said police will be stepping up patrols in the area as a result of the thefts.
“One would hope that will prevent the theft of a third baby Jesus,” he said.
Vandalism to personal property through theft (of a religious symbol at that) is reported by the Trib as being probably just a prank, with the local police “stepping up patrols in the area?” If this type of vandalism involved a religious symbol of any other religion than Christianity, especially Judaism, the crime surely would be under investigation as a hate crime by Federal authorities, and the newspaper article would have an entirely different tone.
Shouldn’t the Baby Jesus only be put in the display AFTER Christmas morning? Maybe that is the point they are trying to make. I suspect the figurines will be “miraculously” returned after Christmas.
Maybe it’s a miracle? Has the church been notified?
Has the owner ever heard of a camera? Catch the culprit in the act.