ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – They are thieves with a heart. An Albuquerque couple’s stolen Christmas decorations have been returned along with a note sincerely apologizing.
“Dear Russ and Phylis. This letter was written to offer the deepest apology one could muster. It began as a prank that went too far,” says Russ Thorson.
This apology came five days after Russ and Phylis Thorson’s nativity scene was stolen from their home near Wyoming and Osuna.
The morning after KRQE News 13 spoke with the Thorsons, Russ says he noticed someone had left something in the front yard while he was leaving to go to work.
“I saw Mary and Joseph out there and I thought maybe their heart was convicted from the newscast or from the note Phylis left on the sidewalk,” he says.
Along with it, came a note that was left under Baby Jesus.
“Again, the deepest apologies. God bless and have a Merry Christmas,” Russ read from the note.
The couple says they don’t know exactly who was behind the so-called prank, but their security camera caught a glimpse of the crooks.
“She saw three young men getting out of a van type car. They were young, probably teenagers, had hooded sweaters on. They moved real fast,” Russ says.
Now that Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, and the manger are back home, Russ believes it’s the spirit of Christmas that got those responsible to do the right thing.
“A little bit of a miracle. God made them do that. I forgive them. I hold no grudge against them,” he says.
The couple says the only thing that wasn’t returned was the floodlight. They have placed the scene closer to the house now that it’s back home.
This is the third time someone has stolen from the couple’s nativity scene. This is the first time Baby Jesus has been back since 2017.
