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Baby Jesus stolen from Nativity scene
Dr. Wayne Whitley hopes that baby Jesus stolen from his office Nativity scene will be returned.Date published: 12/15/2005 Baby Jesus has disappeared from right under Mary and Joseph's watchful eyes. A hard-plastic baby Jesus was recently stolen from outside the Fredericksburg dental office of Dr. Wayne Whitley. The figurine is part of a Nativity scene outside the Bridgewater Street business. Mary and Joseph remain and are standing over the empty straw-filled manger where the missing infant once lay. The baby Jesus disappeared sometime between Dec. 3-5, said Gloria Whitley, who is Wayne Whitley's wife. Last week, the Whitleys put up a banner behind the Nativity scene that reads "Christ has been Stolen from Christmas." Gloria Whitley said the episode is symbolic of this year's trend, when political correctness has led to "Christmas trees" being renamed "holiday trees." She said they've been putting up the Nativity scene for a number of years. Mother Mary was stolen about six years ago, but this is the first time Jesus has disappeared. The figurine lights up and is about 11/2 feet long. It cost just $70 or so, but the Whitleys said it's the principle that irks them. They didn't report it to police and just want the thief to bring back Jesus. Fredericksburg Police Capt. Rick Pennick said this sort of theft occurs nearly every holiday season. He said it also happens occasionally throughout the year when figurines are left outside. Pennick encourages people to keep a close eye on their decorations and to report suspicious activity to police. A similar incident occurred in Fredericksburg's Central Park in 1999, when a baby Jesus and his manger were taken from the shopping center. Fredericksburg isn't the only place experiencing such crime, according to a scan of Google News. The search engine turns up more than 100 recent reports of disappearing Nativity figurines. That lists includes a report of a Cabbage Patch doll dressed in swaddling clothes replacing a stolen Fiberglas Christ in a town square in Belleville, Ill. To reach BILL FREEHLING:
Date published: 12/15/2005
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