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Nightmare Before Christmas Decorations Stolen From Dovewood Court Home

ORANGEVALE (CBS13) — A family is asking for the public's help after someone stole irreplaceable pieces from their front yard on Dovewood Court.

Dovewood Court is known for its annual parade of lights where all the homes on the street go above and beyond with their Christmas light displays. The spectacular display of lights and decorations has drawn crowds for 35 years and is often the first stop for CBS13's Dave Bender during the 12 Daves of Christmas.

Christopher Van Dyke shut down his Christmas display early after the pieces were stolen.

"I pulled it all down last night almost nine o'clock at night when we noticed the stuff was gone," Van Dyke said.

He wasn't planning on taking anything down before Jan. 4 until he noticed his nightmare before Christmas display was missing a few crucial characters. Sometime before Christmas Eve, someone stole two decorations from their front yard display.

"It made me angry enough that last night I took the most of my display down. I hate to punish the rest of the community for that," Van Dyke said.

READ ALSO: Stolen Unicorn Decoration Returned To North Highlands Home

The pieces were custom made and gifted to him and his family when they first moved into their house. Van Dyke says his family loves being a part of this decades-long tradition.

"We just like to bring joy to everybody," Van Dyke said.

Every year, Van Dyke and his daughter spend months programming their lights to music. The process starts around June, and they work to program a couple of new songs each year. But he says his display is not the same without those missing pieces.

"I just want to get the word out. If somebody sees it maybe they can get somebody to bring it back," Van Dyke said.

Van Dyke said the theft will not crush his spirit and next year he will figure out another way to secure some of the smaller items.

If you see the two missing pieces, you're asked to drop them off, no questions asked.

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