SCHUYLKILL HAVEN -- The search is on for the person who swiped a baby Jesus statue from a Nativity scene in Schuylkill Haven. Police think the theft happened this week, as Christians continue to celebrate the birth of the Christ child.
For this year's Christmas decorations, John and Lori Michael tossed the bright lights and bought a $3,000 Nativity set. They put it outside their business, Lori's Angels, in Schuylkill Haven.
"You know, this is what Christmas is all about. We went to church and on the way home from church, we put the baby jesus out Christmas eve," said John Michael.
It was a new family tradition, but a few weeks ago, someone broke off an ear from one of the sheep in the set. This week, Lori and Michael's son noticed there's Mary, there's Joseph, but no Jesus.
"That's when my husband and I went out to check because we had not taken the baby in, and he was not there. Not any part of him was there," said Lori Michael.
Lori and John reported it to police and searched town to find the missing statue. So far, they've had no luck.
"I don't think that it was meant to be a religious statement by anyone, but it was just an opportunity to vandalize and be malicious against somebody else that they don't even know," said Lori Michael.
People who drive by the scene daily, like Susan Betack, said they can't believe what's happened.
"It's disgusting. I cannot imagine. I just cannot imagine that anyone would do anything like this," said Susan Betack, of Schuylkill Haven.
This is where the Nativity scene had been set up. Lori and John were planning on keeping it there for another couple of days, but once the baby Jesus was stolen, they decided to take it down for the season.
"It's such a religious, and this is what's Christmas is all about, and for somebody to take it and vandalize it and steal just doesn't make sense to me," said John Michael.
Lori and John said when they bought the set, they had to buy Mary, Joseph, and Jesus together. Now they're trying to find out if they can just replace baby Jesus, but the search is on. They're hoping that somewhere in Schuylkill Haven, Baby Jesus will turn up.