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Old Towne: Jesus is missing
December 18th, 2009, 3:52 pm · 58 Comments · posted by EUGENE W. FIELDS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A statue of baby Jesus was stolen from the Nativity scene in Plaza Park.
Mayor Carolyn Cavecche, who for more than 10 years has been part of the community group that sets up and takes down the scene depicting Christ’s birth, noticed the baby was missing.
“I was driving through the Plaza and out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a bare spot,” Cavecche said Friday. “We checked and, sure enough, there was a missing baby Jesus.”
The Nativity scene, in the park inside the traffic circle, consisted of a manger with statues of Mary and Joseph near the baby. Outside the manger are three wise men and two sheep. The mayor noticed Jesus was missing Wednesday afternoon.
The statue is approximately 30 inches long and 18 inches wide, weighing 10 pounds. It is valued at $400.
Sgt. Dan Adams said that wires securing baby Jesus were cut.
“You wonder what kind of person does this either as a prank or as a statement the week before Christmas,” the mayor said. “If this was just a prank, they can return it no-questions-asked to Orange Realty. We’d really like to get this one back.”
Realtor Dan Slater was one of the original volunteers to set up and take down the Nativity scene in 1999. Volunteers hope someone has a baby Jesus that can be used this year in the scene.
“It won’t be the same, but something is better than nothing,” Slater said.
Cavecche said all of the figures were special ordered from a company in Minnesota, and a replacement would not arrive in time this year.
This is the third time the statue of the infant Christ had to be replaced; it is the second time one was stolen.
“It was stolen in 2000,” the mayor said. “Our security system wasn’t as advanced and someone stole baby Jesus and we found him smashed in the downtown Plaza area.”
Three years ago, the entire Nativity scene was smashed by a drunken driver during a police pursuit. “The car hit it and just completely blew up the Nativity scene,” Cavecche said. “We were picking pieces up all over the streets and the Plaza. …
“We’ll have to try to make due this year,” Cavecche said. “If we don’t get this one back, we’ll have to try to order another piece.”
Last year, a menorah placed inside the traffic circle was stolen before the beginning of Hanukkah. The one there now was to be secured to a foundation to thwart thieves.
Slater said the fund for maintenance of the Nativity scene has $33 left in it. Anyone wishing to donate to the fund can send a check payable to Orange Nativity to the Orange Realty office, at 1537 E. Chapman Ave., Orange, Ca. 92866.
Police are asking anyone with information about the theft to call Detective Simone Mueller at 714-744-7578.
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Hey thief! Bring Jesus back, otherwise you will be takin’ the “Hell Express” upon your demise! It ain’t smart to steal from God.
In this day and age, it doesnt suprise me at all!
This is a lesson in keeping our eyes on Jesus. Jesus never did stay in one place for very long; he is needed all over and just can’t lay around all day. Thank you to the Plaza for reminding us that we all need him in our lives.
Hahah that’s hilarious!
They need to put a gps in these statues that keep getting stolen/descecrated so they can track down the low-lifes that would steal them. Then charge them with a hate crime!
Not the baby Jesus!
You blokes want a good read check this out – http://www.whoisthegimp.com
This is awful. These people are going to burn in hades for this.
Who cares!
It was a stinkin fire hazard anyway.
Hey Joseph now where did you put the kid this time? I can’t trust you with anything. For the love of God I know its HIS son and not yours but lets get with the program here. FOCUS!
I’ve got a small blow up doll I can part with for a couple of days.
Don’t these thieves think about the wrath they just unleashed!!!
Replace Jesus with Santa Claus.
yea, great line- I don’t know what people are so upset about. They kicked him out of the schools in the 1960s. I’m surprised He doesn’t destroy the earth and make a new one. Maybe He really does love these clowns.
Replace you with a blow up doll.
So much for the Virgin birth fairytale.
This is a copycat crime from the movie , THE REF with Denis Leary , the kid steals the baby Hayzues !
Good. Put Buddha there
OK, it’s NOT Jesus. It’s a little statue. Either buy another one and get on with it or don’t. No one even knows what the biblical Jesus looked like except that it is sadly a lot like the knuckleheads we are fighting in the crazy middle east anyway. IT’S A STATUE…..for crying out loud.
Shame on them
fraternity prank?
I hope it turns up as a bong later! Serves them right for putting religious propaganda on public property.
I bet you believe your mature.
I bet you think you know how to spell.
the only one going to be smoking is you..and not in a bong.in a pit
These are bullies and I detest bullies
Why isn’t the criminal act classified as a hate crime?
jesus probly didnt want no part of the reality business
some one freed him from the land hoard
This is part of the war on christmas
Perhaps it was a simple prank?
No, it’s gotta be a malicious attack on Christianity and a shot fired in the war on Christmas!
For God’s sake, turn off Fox “news” once in a while and get some perspective!
Where was John Adams (I know that’s not his name) when this happened. Isn’t that every Athiests dream? To steal The most sacred sympol of Christianity…
STOP trying to stir the pot! Where is your PROOF an atheist had anything to do with this? Weak speculation from U as usual!
I’ve got the thief on video. Return the Baby or I’m going to TMZ.
I wonder if Jesus stole Jesus
Jesus WILL return!!!
The person who stole Him…. REALLY needs Him
Another selfish, soulless atheist that doesn’t want to look at so assumes no one else does either. It’s sick and it’s cruel.
Just how do you know this was the work of an athiest?
This location is near a college where stupid college kid pranks probably happen all the time.
If you are a good Christian, you wouldn’t be so quick to affix the blame on another “type” of person, when you have absolutely no knowledge about the perp.
Atheists don’t have souls?! That’s news to me, I really thought I had one of those. Eh, I’ll put “soul” on my Christmas list.
Jesus Christ, where have you been?
Just maybe the Rapture occurred and took the little baby Jebus up to heaven?
The statue is approximately 30 inches long and 18 inches wide, weighing 10 pounds. It is valued at $400.
FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS!? Now that’s what I call robbery.
You can get one just like it in Tijuana for $25.00.
“It was stolen in 2000,” the mayor said. “Our security system wasn’t as advanced…
Security system? Why not Super Glue baby Jebus to the sidewalk?
First, I wanted to say THANK YOU to the City of Orange for the fantastic Christmas celebration and tree lighting ceremony, it is a MAJOR part of our family’s Christmas tradition that we look forward to every year.
We will be happy to be a part of helping to replace the baby Jesus statue, it is the least we could do to show our gratitude for such precious memories.
MORE BREAKING NEWS!!
Jesus Kills Santa!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVLigsO52zs&feature=player_embedded
I think they need to start putting low jack on Jesus …. damn thieves!
BEST HEADLINE EVER
I, too, want to donate something. I love that area. But mostly, I love Jesus and want to thank the city for still celebrating Christmas for what it is: The birthday of Jesus Christ! Same on the people who could say such horrible things about the birth of our Lord and Savor who died for your sins.
Were all these Christians equally outraged when the Danish newspaper published a cartoon of Mohamed?
This Jesus shouldn’t be up in the first place. This is in a public park…with public monies…Jesus has no place on public lands, that is the most sickening part of the story, the theft is secondary.
If it is our land (government), you can put your religious symbol or non-religious statement next to the approved display to be fair to everyone in our integrated society (America: we weren’t the first, they weren’t the first, but amazing good land anyways). Just used a search engine: over 4000 active religions! Theft is illegal and condemned by all who participates in the American dream.
I saw a FEW(!) baby Jesus’ for sale at a swap meet at the Goldenwest College in Huntington Beach. I saw a woman questioning the young man selling them. I assumed she was asking where he had come by so many of them. I’d forgotten about it until now. Local authorities, check out this swap meet for the missing Jesus!
I saw a FEW(!) baby Jesus’ for sale at a swap meet at the Goldenwest College in Huntington Beach. I saw a woman questioning the young man selling them. I assumed she was asking where he had come by so many of them. I’d forgotten about it until now. Local authorities, check out this swap meet for the missing Jesus!
dreams are great until someone wakes you up mowing a lawn with
a lawn mower with no muffler or being woke up by some one
who holds no real appreciation value for music
America isn’t a dream it was actually built and maintained and currently
being given away by dreamers
mow your own lawn quietly another thing boom words boom is not music
What a degenerate people we’ve become. That’s like the kids at my work stealing toys out from the donation box for poor people. Guess whose getting coal in their stocking when they die. Come on, people, can’t we be something better than gutter trash!
I just drove around the Plaza and Jesus is back!
He vanished without any evidence of him ever even being here 2,000 years ago.