As Suffolk County residents were celebrating Christmas, a juvenile occurrence prompted law enforcement’s attention: the Baby Jesus statue was stolen from its Nativity display at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge.
On January 2, law enforcement and elected officials spared no expense at asking the perpetrator to return Baby Jesus, “no questions asked.”
“This is definitely not of the Christmas spirit,” said County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) at Police Headquarters in Yaphank.
Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) Commissioner Kevin Catalina said that the theft occurred between December 24 and January 1, with the theft having been discovered on New Year’s Day.
“We immediately started the search,” said Catalina. “It almost seems, in a way, that the theft is trivial in nature, but it is an affront to Christianity.”
Romaine and officials emphasized “religious tolerance on all fronts.” Romaine was also not quick to chalk it up to a “hate crime” necessarily, as it could have just been a “silly prank”, adding, “I think everybody would be happy and we could go on with our lives.”
Catalina added that no questions would be asked if Baby Jesus was returned to its display in Hauppauge and that no one would be detained.
The SCPD issued a statement on Saturday afternoon that Baby Jesus had been returned to his manger. The SCPD thanked the public for their “assistance and cooperation.”
