The home of Duron and Sybil Hicks on Saturday was filled with candy canes and Santa Claus. The decorations lit up the neighborhood, but now it's all gone.
"They took everything," said Duron Hicks. "They took the reindeer that I had, the lights."
Every decoration on the front lawn was stolen Thursday afternoon. Like the story of the Grinch, the thieves only left bare walls with nothing but hooks and some wire, and fake snow on the grass. Christian Hicks, 3, is devastated, telling his mother that he was sad the lights were no longer on.
It's been a tradition in the South Los Angeles neighborhood for Duron Hicks to set up his Christmas display. Other neighbors look forward to it. They can't believe anyone would steal it during the holidays.
"Taking from a family that has children, I just don't understand why would someone do such a mean crime like this?" said Teresa Redick.
Duron Hicks says it was more than a $1,000 in Christmas decorations. Now he'll try to put up a few other things before Christmas. He does it for his son and the other children in the neighborhood.
"I like the Christmas spirit, I like the celebrating, I like to decorate, I like to keep it going, and I just like to see the smile on the kids' faces," he said.
Even though there is not much left, the family says they still have the Christmas spirit.
"I'm still in the Christmas spirit, I'm still very excited to celebrate Christmas, but it is very disappointing, extremely disappointing," said Sybil Hicks.
