‘Overwhelming’ response after Christmas gifts stolen from family’s home

KITCHENER — Waterloo Region’s residents weren’t going to allow a Grinch to steal Christmas from a Kitchener family.

Gifts flooded Waterloo Regional Police’s Frederick Street detachment after it was reported Sunday that Christmas presents were stolen from a home earlier in the weekend.

Gifts nabbed from under the tree included toys for two boys, age two and eight.

“The response’s been great from the community,” said Sgt. Chad Grandy of the donated gifts. “I couldn’t even count. There’s a lot.”

Police reported someone broke into the family’s Grenville Avenue home between 4 and 11 p.m. on Saturday. The suspect rummaged through several rooms and grabbed various wrapped presents and also broke into a backyard shed before fleeing.

On Sunday morning, police said on Twitter they were accepting gifts with the plan to deliver them to the family on Christmas Eve. Cash donations were also accepted.

Throughout Sunday, people brought in wrapped and unwrapped presents, wrapping paper and donations. Front desk staff was busy in the afternoon wrapping presents.

A few officers were going to bring the gifts to the family in the early evening.

“It’s been great,” Grandy said of the “overwhelming” response.

Police are looking for a suspect wearing Nike shoes walking with a white woman’s road bicycle, which was also stolen, and carrying presents.

Anyone who saw a suspect matching that description in the areas of Grenville Avenue, Courtland Avenue, Ottawa Street or Homer Watson Boulevard between those times on Saturday is urged to contact police at 519-570-9777 ext. 4499 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-2228477.