Vandal pops blow-up Santa

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE)  A Fort Wayne family caught a vandal on surveillance jumping on their 10 feet tall blow-up Santa Monday night.

Catherine Dallas, 54, says she's crazy about Christmas.  Her front yard is covered in blow-up holiday characters, lights, and other Christmas decorations.  After vandals broke one of her favorite inflatable snow globes in 2011, she and her family installed surveillance cameras on the outside of her home.  

On Monday night, she discovered her 10-feet tall blow-up Santa had deflated.  When she looked back at the surveillance video, she saw that someone had jumped on top of it, ripping the bottom of the blow-up.

Dallas and her family said they filed a police report in response to the vandalism.  They don't know why someone would want to ruin decorations they said are mainly for nearby neighborhood kids.  She hopes the surveillance footage will help police catch the vandals.
    
"If you're going to come down and vandalize my house, just realize that you are being videotaped and eventually you will be caught," Dallas said.  "If they think that they're going to make me stop decorating, it's not going to happen."

Dallas has fixed the Santa by sewing it back together.  Tuesday it was back up in her front yard.