Thieves target holiday decoration in Carmel

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By Mark Ambrogi

A brazen theft put a damper on Jeff Miller’s holiday spirit.

Sometime between 8 and 11 p.m. Dec. 3, someone stole Miller’s 7-foot inflatable Frosty the Snowman in Carmel’s Woodland Springs neighborhood.

“We were home when it happened,” Miller said. “I was like ‘who would steal a Frosty the Snowman?’”

Miller was especially upset because it disappointed his 2-year-old son, who loved the display.

He said whoever stole the Frosty, deflated it, unplugged it and took the whole unit. Miller had just put Frosty, a new addition, up six days before the theft. Miller’s 8-foot Santa Claus was undisturbed.

“Within five minutes of me posting it (on Nextdoor, a private neighborhood social media website), a police officer from Carmel who lives in our neighborhood, called me,” Miller said. “He said it was something that happens more than I thought. He said some people got their Halloween decorations stolen. Seven or eight people posted on my comment that they have had similar experiences. It’s kind of a bummer. I don’t know if there is a black market for this. Maybe I’ll see it someone else’s yard.”

Carmel Police Dept. Lt. Joe Bickel said there have been a few reports of decorations or displays being stolen this season.

“It’s been happening infrequently, but it has been happening,” Bickel said.

Bickel said surveillance cameras can often provide helpful information when an officer arrives to take the theft report. To reduce the risk of theft, he said homeowners can remove the item each night and set it up the next day.

“If that’s too much work, maybe use some of some kind of metal stake to secure it or tether it to the ground to make it more difficult for someone to remove,” Bickel said. “If you had any type of motion sensor lights that would come on near the display if someone walks through the area, that would be helpful to prevent future thefts.”

Bickel said the decorations could be attached to something heavier, like a large piece of wood.


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