A West Las Vegas neighborhood is steamed after a beloved holiday inflatable vanished from the front yard of Diana and William Porter, turning a typically quiet block near Cimarron Road and Westcliff Drive into a mini whodunit.
The Porters say the decoration disappeared from their lawn and sat unnoticed for about three days before they realized it was gone. When they checked surveillance footage, they say they saw exactly what happened: several people loading the inflatable into a vehicle.
According to 8 News Now, the footage shows an adult woman, a teenage boy, and a younger child taking the decoration and putting it into a dark-colored SUV. Investigators believe the vehicle may be a Toyota RAV4 or something similar from about 2006 to 2012. Las Vegas police say the investigation is still active and have not announced any arrests.
"They won't kill our holiday spirit," William Porter told 8 News Now. Porter said he went to the door of the home where he believes the inflatable ended up, but no one answered. He added that his family does not want those individuals back on their property.
The Porters later tracked down the missing inflatable and say they plan to document and report any further activity to police.
Holiday Heists Put Neighbors On Edge
The incident has neighbors rattled, especially as similar holiday decoration thefts keep popping up across the region this season. In Phoenix, for example, a 40-foot inflatable Santa was taken from a family tree lot and later recovered, according to Arizona's Family. Other communities have reported both vandalism and outright theft of seasonal displays.
Block Rallies With Cameras And Watchful Eyes
On the Porters' street, residents say they are combing through doorbell and security camera footage and keeping an eye out for the described SUV while staying wary of unfamiliar faces lingering near homes.
The Porters told the station they hope that extra vigilance and neighbor tips will discourage copycat incidents and help detectives put names to the faces in the video.
Police confirm the case is still open, and the Porters say they will keep recording anything suspicious and sharing it with investigators. For now, the family is watching their front yard a lot more closely and making it clear that whoever took the inflatable is not welcome to come back.
