Caught On Camera: Suspect behind string of lawn ornament thefts strikes again

Monday, April 22, 2019
CHESTER COUNTY, Pa. (WPVI) -- The Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department is working to catch the brazen bandits behind a string of lawn ornament thefts in Chester County.

The majority of the incidents are concentrated on Grand Oak Lane where two of the seven incidents have been reported since April 1.

The thieves are stealing anything from gargoyles, to plastic garden pots, to 75-pound cement statues of animals. One resident didn't want to go on camera but says the thieves stole a statue of the Virgin Mary from his front lawn the day before Easter but hasn't yet reported it to police. That also occurred on Grand Oak Lane.

Surveillance cameras did catch the thief on camera in the act over the weekend stealing a sentimental porch ornament.

"It's silly, it's absolutely silly," said Dottie Clarken. "They obviously knew it was there, they seem to be hitting selected houses."

"The (statue) is not expensive, but it's just something to steal. It's just disappointing," she said.

It's not clear if the suspects are casing the neighborhood but police believe they're are from the area.

"You would think it's a prank, but with seven who knows what they're going for," said Sergeant Mike O'Brien of the Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department.
Copyright © 2024 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.