Ornament thief strikes Pierpont Bay neighborhood of Ventura

There may be a Grinch on the loose in Ventura.

Last Saturday, the Pierpont Bay Community Council was in the midst of preparations to host a free Christmas tree ornament “Make and Take” event for families to decorate cinnamon-scented ornaments.

Lauren Almeida, a Pierpont Bay resident, had worked with several other members of the council to bake hundreds of ornaments and acquire enough paint and other decorations for the event. Almeida stored the supplies in cardboard boxes in the trunk of her car.

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On Sunday morning, she discovered that someone had broken into her car and rummaged through the boxes. All the supplies — from the glue to the paint to the ornaments themselves — were taken.

Almeida was confused as to why the ornaments were stolen.

“They’re worthless,” Almeida said. “I don’t know what they would do with them.”

Cmdr. David Dickey of the Ventura Police Department said authorities are investigating the vehicle burglary, but have no leads at this time.

“The case is still active, but there is no suspect information or witnesses,” Dickey said.

Almeida said she knew “porch pirate” thefts were common for this time of year, but she never expected something like this.

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“I don’t have a camera, but maybe I should get one,” she said.

Almeida said community council members have spent the past week scrambling to reacquire enough supplies to have the event still take place. Fortunately, everything has been replaced and the event is scheduled for Saturday.

“We’re trying to build a little community here,” Almeida said.

For more information on the Pierpont Bay Community Council, including information on how to donate or volunteer, visit their website at http://pierpontcouncil.org.

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Jeremy Childs is a breaking news and public safety reporter covering the night shift for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached by calling 805-437-0208 or emailing jeremy.childs@vcstar.com.