Bizarre Lawn Ornament Thefts: Stolen Santas, Dinosaurs, and More

Thefts of Large Decorations

• 🎅 In 2024, a giant inflatable Santa was stolen from a street in Carlsbad, California, by a man who deflated it and loaded it into a pickup truck.
• 🦖 A beloved life-size dinosaur statue, known as Dino the Brontosaurus, was stolen from a Colorado community in 2019, prompting a desperate search and a website for tips.
• 🐺 In 2023, police in Ohio sought a concrete wolf statue that was brazenly stolen from a front yard on camera.
• 🎃 A 13-foot-tall Jack Skellington decoration was stolen from a Corona, California home in 2025 by a suspect who placed it on the roof of his car.
• 💀 In 2022, a woman repeatedly attempted to steal a giant skeleton decoration, similar to the Jack Skellington, by shoving it into her SUV.

Community Efforts and Recoveries

• 🍔 A Nebraska couple in 2025 sought help finding the Hamburglar statue stolen from their lawn, which was an annual trophy for the fire department.
• 🗣️ After posting on local groups, the wife identified the person who took the statue and confronted them, successfully recovering the Hamburglar.
• ⚖️ Despite being upset, she chose not to press charges, opting for public shaming by planning to place the statue in someone else's yard after reinforcing it.
• 💡 The Hamburglar statue was eventually returned, with the owner stating she would not press charges as long as it was recovered.