The Grinches who stole Christmas: Security footage shows thieves scampering off with an inflatable Santa and reindeer decorations during raids on homes in California

• Families in Contra Costa Count and Moreno Valley were targeted by thieves 

Security footage has shown thieves scampering off with an inflatable Santa and reindeer decorations during raids on homes in California.

A family in Contra Costa County is frightened and angry after their Santa Claus decoration was nabbed straight from their front porch.

It was supposed to be a surprise for Paul Silva’s seven-year-old daughter Kathryne Silva.

The decoration was snatched from the property on G Street on Saturday.

Paul posted surveillance video on social media showing a car parking in front of the family’s driveway. One of the suspects gets out of the vehicle on the rear passenger side and then the driver exits to open the trunk.

The robber making off with the Santa from the front porch of Paul Silva’s family home in Contra Costa County

One of the thieves unplugging inflatables from Alexandra Falcon’s home in Calle Vejar, Moreno Valley

The suspect then mischievously returns to the vehicle with the Santa decoration and chucks it into the trunk before the cheeky thieves drive off.

Paul said he knew that he wasn’t going to get it back. 

‘I wanted to see if people could recognize the guys to make them stop doing it,’ he said.

His wife Maria says she’s concerned about her family’s safety and riled by the pleasure the thieves are taking away from Kathryne over the holiday period.

‘It’s sad to see these kinds of people do these things on a special day like Christmas? I don’t know, it’s sad,’ said Maria.

The thief taking the Santa decoration from the porch of Paul Silva’s family home 

The suspect then mischievously returns to the vehicle with the Santa decoration and chucks it into the trunk before the cheeky thieves drive off

Paul says he spoke with police on Tuesday, but they have not yet filed an official report.

To the suspects who robbed her of her surprise gift, Kathryne delivered the simple message: ‘Give me it back.’

Meanwhile, in Calle Vejar, Moreno Valley, Alexandra Falcon’s surveillance video caught suspects trespassing on her home on Friday.

‘A group of guys were on my lawn and on my neighbor’s as well and they had unplugged from the extension cord on two of our inflatables,’ Falcon told KTLA.

The woman’s security cameras captured at least two people pinching large and flashy Christmas decorations from the properties on her street.

‘We had a singular reindeer, like a Rudolph reindeer, and then we had a Santa,’ Falcon said. 

Video from Falcon and her neighbor across the road shows a man approaching the property and then walking off. 

After a few minutes, he returns to make off with the holiday inflatables from her front lawn and the calmly walks away.

In Calle Vejar, Moreno Valley, Alexandra Falcon’s surveillance video caught suspects trespassing on her home on Friday

Video from Falcon and her neighbor shows one of them unplugging the extension cord of two inflatables on the lawn 

‘I was shocked,’ Falcon said. ‘I was like, “This can’t be real.”‘

Her next-door neighbor’s surveillance video shows the two suspects walking away while their hands are filled with stolen decorations.

Another neighbor who was also targeted said the theft saddened her, especially as it fell over the holiday season.

Weaver’s family has only lived on the street for five months and is new to the neighborhood.

Weaver said decorating for the holiday season with her 10-month-old son meant a lot to her and she had also bought a giant LED inflatable of Santa and a reindeer.

After the thieves made off with her inflatable, Weaver opted to move an eight-foot holiday lamp post into her garage for security.

‘It just sucks,’ she said. ‘Buy your own stuff. Let people have their Christmas and show their Christmas spirit in their own way.’

Neighbors have also expressed their concern over the targeted theft.

‘People work hard for these things,’ Weaver said. ‘They’re not cheap.’

Falcon has since bought a new lawn decoration and said she will not allow thieves to dampen her holiday spirits.

‘We’re going to get past this,’ Falcon said. ‘We’re going to put up another one.’

The victims said they have been keeping an eye on resale sites to see if the suspects try to flog off the stolen decorations.

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