12/12 Update from Pearland PD: “Thanks to online tips, intersection cameras, Flock Safety cameras, and solid detective work, the stolen ornaments have been located and returned to the City of Pearland. The case remains under investigation, and no charges have been filed at this time.”

PEARLAND — Police are investigating the theft of two large holiday ornaments taken from city displays on Monday, according to the Pearland Police Department.

The first theft was discovered near the Pearland city sign at 2650 Dixie Farm Road, where a City of Pearland employee noticed one of the oversized ornaments missing. About an hour later, around 1:20 p.m., officers responded to a second report involving another stolen ornament from the sign at 1300 Pearland Parkway.

Both ornaments are roughly four feet in diameter, red in color, and had been secured with bike locks. Police say the locks were cut and left behind. Each ornament is valued at $2,000, placing the total loss at $4,000 — an amount that elevates the case to a state jail felony.

Public Information Officer Chad Rogers told KGTX 7 the ornaments had been on display for about three weeks before they disappeared. He noted that nothing like this has happened in the three years the city has used the decorations.

Rogers added, “It sure would be nice if they would just randomly reappear, kind of like a Christmas miracle.”

The timeframe of the thefts is still unclear, and detectives are reviewing available information. Rogers said it’s possible they were taken during the early morning hours, when passing traffic was at a minimum.

Anyone with tips is asked to contact the Pearland Police Department Tip Line at 281-997-4211.

_{Photo credit: City of Pearland}