Paul TostoThere seemed to be a rash of manger-scene thefts across the country in the weeks before Christmas.
They included St. Cloud, where the St. Cloud Times reported that someone had walked off with the antique statue of baby Jesus owned by the Stearns History Museum on display in a nativity scene at a U.S. Bank branch.
At around the same time, owners of the Cedar Rose Inn in Alexandria, Minn., reported someone stole theirs, too.
These stories don’t usually have happy endings, which is why it’s worth noting when sometimes they do. Here’s Waterbury, Conn.:
Baby Jesus returned in #Waterbury @WTNH #MerryChristmas https://t.co/ONIKBJ1ot6 pic.twitter.com/0XgmxDOlga
— Darren Kramer (@DarrenKramer8) January 8, 2019
WTNH ABC News in New Haven, Conn., reports that a week after being stolen, “the baby Jesus had been returned to the church, along with a note from a News 8 viewer: ‘I noticed some kids messing around in the nativity scene a couple weeks back, then I read the story on WTNH. Through friends of friends I was able to get it back for you guys. I don’t have any names but I just wanted to make sure you guys got it back, Happy New Year.'”