oddly enough

oddly enough

Grinch steals Fla. family’s presents and puppy

TAMPA, Fla.

This Grinch was a mean one.

Police say burglars broke into a Florida woman’s home, stole her two children’s gifts from under the tree and snatched the family’s puppy.

Melody Russell, a 33-year-old property manager, said the thieves broke in to her home northeast of downtown Tampa while she was at work Monday. She came home to find the back door open, all presents under the tree gone and Honey, their 12-week-old Shih Tzu, missing.

Her two children, 7-year-old Marissa and 5-year-old Marcus, were at her sister’s home when the burglary happened. Marissa cried for a half hour when Russell broke the news about Honey.

“My kids are so in love with that puppy,” she said.

The white and tan puppy did not yet have a microchip, Russell said.

Russell said she had bought a handful of modest gifts for each of her children — Nerf guns and slippers and Ninja Turtle toys.

“Typical Christmas stuff,” said Russell, who is a single mother. “Nothing extravagant.”

Tampa Police are investigating the case — and they also tried to save Christmas for the Russell family.

Russell said that after the officers wrote their reports and processed the crime scene at her home, she sat in the living room, praying to God for strength. It was 1 a.m. on Christmas Eve, she said, and the phone rang.

It was a Tampa Police officer, telling her that he and his entire squad were coming to her house with gifts.

When police dispatchers and Squad 204 heard about the theft, they quickly chipped in to buy Marissa and Marcus presents.

“Every single one of them had gifts in their hands,” Russell said. “I was so in shock.”

Each present was signed “From Santa.”

W. Pa. man charged with stealing handcuffs in escape

COMMODORE, Pa.

A western Pennsylvania man is jailed on charges he stole a pair of handcuffs he was wearing when he reportedly escaped from a state police cruiser.

Troopers say 29-year-old Douglas Lydic, of Commodore, was handcuffed but not yet charged while they searched a scene in his hometown for drugs Sunday night.

Police have yet to charge him in that case but say he climbed out a cruiser window while cuffed and wound up at his girlfriend’s home miles away.

Court records don’t list an attorney for Lydic, who also faces a charge of escape at a preliminary hearing scheduled for Jan. 2.

He’s been in the Indiana County Jail since he was re-arrested Monday morning at his girlfriend’s home.

She’s being held on charges of hindering his apprehension by police.

Associated Press