Thieves steal children’s Christmas gifts, caught by police

Two suspected thieves were arrested after they stole items that were meant to be Christmas gifts for a group of foster children in California, United States, on Dec. 5.

Police investigated the Children First Foster Family Agency, where the incident took place, after they received a call from the center’s staff, as per the Red Bluff Police Department’s post on Facebook on Dec. 7.

Authorities determined that the suspects were coming and going from a house next to the foster center, after reviewing surveillance footage from the night of the burglary.

https://www.facebook.com/rbpd.org/posts/2606050222781515

After locating them inside the house, police arrested the suspects and booked them into the Tehama County Jail. The suspects were later identified as Joseph Betancourt, 24, and Marie Bennett, 40.

Police were able to recover all of the stolen items, and took to social media to share the good news. Among the recovered presents were two flat-screen TVs, a PlayStation 4 controller and several sleeping bags.

“These ‘Grinches’ will not be stealing Christmas from the kids on our watch,” the police department said.

The foster care agency also took to social media to thank the officers for “saving Christmas.” According to Tehama County Jail records, Betancourt and Bennett were charged with of burglary, theft and vandalism.  /ra

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