SAN DIEGO - Video of a man stealing a Christmas gift meant for an 8-year-old girl may also reveal the thief's possible "cover story."
"I felt almost violated. It just hurt," said Heather Blinn-Smith.
Blinn-Smith ordered a $15 Winter Wonderland playset as a gift for her daughter Gracie, but when it didn't arrive by Thursday, she checked her surveillance video and saw the thief in action.
In the footage captured at around 3 p.m. Wednesday, a man is seen front of Blinn-Smith's home on Texas Street in University Heights walking with someone on a bicycle.
He casually walks up and grabs the package.
"Trying to have our Christmas taken care of for our kids, and to have someone take that away, that's sad. It's sad," said Blinn-Smith.
Afterwards, he's spotted meeting up with the person on the bicycle, and they continue on down the street.
Taking a closer look, the man is seen holding something under his left arm.
"I thought it was a clipboard, and my husband thought it was a book," said Blinn-Smith.
So, the big question is: Whatever it was, why did the thief have it?
"Was he posing as someone? If someone would have been home, maybe he would have posed as a service worker or inspection person," said Blinn-Smith.
Blinn-Smith posted the images on the East County Emergency Updates Facebook page in hopes of tracking down a holiday grinch.
"It's scary. If we were home, what would he have done?" said Blinn-Smith.
