Nisswa residents were seemingly paid a visit from the Grinch when it was discovered in the early hours of Tuesday, Dec. 29, that one of the decorated spruce trees in the roundabout on the southern end of town had been cut down and stolen.
Details are still emerging about who took the tree from the County Road 18 roundabout and why.
“We are investigating it,” Police Chief Craig Taylor said. “If anyone in the public has any information, they should give us a call … They did load at least two snowmobiles and this tree onto a trailer - this is a 14-foot tree.”
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Perpetrators would likely be charged with theft or damage to city property - perhaps both.
“A local electrician does the decorations (on those trees) and he has had some of his lights and hardware stolen along with the tree, so there would be theft charges with that for sure,” Taylor said. “Then we probably would say damage to property for the tree.”
A similar incident occurred a few years back, Taylor said, but the tree was simply cut down that time. The city owns that roundabout property.
“The fact that they took it and apparently loaded it onto a trailer is really bizarre,” Taylor said. “If anybody saw or heard anything in the early morning hours, it would be great if they could provide us with any information they have, even if they don’t think it’s that important.”
The Nisswa Fire Department is assisting in the investigation.
Dan Determan may be reached at 218-855-5879 or dan.determan@pineandlakes.com. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/@PEJ_Dan.
