Baby Jesus figurine stolen from Rockaway Twp. home replaced — twice
A Rockaway Township couple who had a treasured baby Jesus stolen from their front-lawn nativity scene were delighted by unknown neighbors who replaced the plastic figurine on Christmas day.
Elaine and Mark Romito — whose pre-Christmas plight was first reported in the Daily Record earlier this month before New York TV news crews descended on their Daniel Street home — say a father and son appeared at their doorstep about 3 p.m. on Thursday bearing gifts, including an exact replacement of the Jesus figure they were so heartbroken to lose.
The father-and-son Samaritans also brought a brand-new motion-detector security system for the Romitos to install in hopes of preventing future loss of an inexpensive, but treasured family possession.
"It's a Christmas miracle," Elaine Romito said. "They only gave us their first names and said they lived nearby. The father's name was Alex and the son, who looked like a teenager, maybe 16, was named Brian. They asked if we were the family who lost our baby Jesus. When we said they were, they asked if they could replace it."
The seasonal act of kindness came about a week after members of the St. Clare's Hospital New Jersey Self-Help Group Clearinghouse, where Elaine Romito has volunteered for more than six years, chipped in to buy them another replacement baby Jesus.
"That was so kind of them to do, but it was different than the original one," Elaine Romito said.
But Alex said his son, after seeing reports of the theft, tracked down the exact model replacement on eBay and bought it.
"I looked online and if you buy the same set from the manufacturer now, the baby Jesus is different," Mark Romito said. "So he must have known enough to buy the old one."
"For a teenager to go to that kind of time and effort into it was very touching," Elaine Romito said.
"The father said the same thing happened to them a while back," Mark Romito said. "Their baby Jesus was stolen."
Alex and Brian even bound the replacement baby Jesus to the crib with fishing line to help thwart future thieves intent on committing holiday mischief.
"We just couldn't believe it," Elaine Romito said. "We are very grateful. It made our Christmas."
News of the original theft at the Romito residence spread quickly followed by a report a few days later by another Rockaway Township resident, George Falcone, who reported a similar baby Jesus theft from his front lawn in the White Meadow Lake section.
Rockaway borough police later contacted both the Romitos and Falcone after recovering a baby Jesus figure, which turned out to be Falcone's.
Staff Writer William Westhoven: 973-428-6627; wwesthoven@dailyrecord.com.