Police in West Bend, Wisconsin said a woman was arrested after allegedly stealing a replacement baby Jesus figure from a Nativity scene at Old Settlers Park on Christmas Eve.
Police told Fox6Now that a police officer saw a 21-year-old woman carrying the baby Jesus figure at around 2:00 a.m. Sunday. The officer tried to talk to the woman, but she dropped the figure and ran off.
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The officer later caught up to the woman and arrested her. She was booked at Washington County Jail on charges of theft and obstructing an officer. Her name was not released, but she is a resident of West Bend.
The baby Jesus figure she was carrying was a replacement for one that was damaged on Dec. 17. At that time, the figure’s head was taken off and one of its arms was recovered.
Investigators have not connected the woman to the Dec. 17 incident. No arrests have been made in that case.
As Fox6Now reported earlier this month, the Nativity scene was given to the city as a gift in the 1960s. The Dec. 17 incident was the first time someone broke the baby Jesus figure.
“It’s always been here. It’s part of our community,” resident Betty Bartelt said. “You know Christmas is coming when you see the Nativity scene up.”
West Bend is a town of about 31,000 people, located 40 miles north of Milwaukee.
Photo credit: Twitter/ CBS 58 News
