MILWAUKEE — As Christmas draws near, Milwaukee neighborhoods are lighting up with holiday cheer. But in Riverwest, the season's magic has been dampened by an unwelcome visitor—a Grinch who snuck in under the cover of night and made off with items from an elaborate holiday display.
Kimberly Segrin, a retired teacher with a love for spreading joy, says the theft was a shocking first for her and her husband.
"We’ve never had this before—it was kinda shocking," Kimberly said.
For years, the Segrins have turned their yard into a festive wonderland, changing the decorations to match the seasons. This year was no exception, with their display featuring Santa, his reindeer, and a massive 12-foot inflatable Santa Claus.
"It’s fun—it’s like being a kid again, even as an adult," Sergin shared. "It’s joyous for us because we get to see the kids come by. They play with everything and move stuff around, which is fun."
Watch: Riverwest woman seeks help after Christmas decorations were stolen from her yard
But their joy turned to dismay when they woke up to find part of their display gone.
"We had two big reindeer, a Santa in the back, and our big 12-foot Santa... just gone," Sergin said, her voice tinged with disbelief.
Her husband discovered the theft early that morning before heading out to his job as a mall Santa.
"He was like, ‘Oh my God, half the blow-ups are gone.’ I was like, ‘What?’" she recounted.
The Segrins had spent weeks meticulously arranging their display, making the theft all the more painful.
"This is Christmas time—that’s not right!" Sergin exclaimed.
With no surveillance footage or clues left behind, Kimberly is left hoping the thief will have a change of heart and return the stolen items.
"We’re not taking down anything. We’re leaving it all up," she said firmly. "I’d rather not be the Grinch. I’d rather be the Whoville people—hey, it’s still the season."
The Segrins' resilience in the face of this act of holiday mischief embodies the spirit of the season. Kimberly says this incident won’t stop them from spreading joy.
"It doesn’t stop because something bad happened," she said with a determined smile.
If you’ve seen the stolen display or have any information, Kimberly hopes you’ll step forward. She assures anonymity for anyone who helps light up her Christmas by bringing Santa and his reindeer back home.
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