Baby Jesus statue stolen from Long Island government building returned

A Baby Jesus statue that was stolen from a Nativity scene outside a Long Island government building has been returned, Suffolk County police said Saturday.

In a statement posted on X, Suffolk County police announced, “The Baby Jesus statue that was reported stolen from a Nativity scene … has been returned,” and shared a photo showing the figure back in the manger between statues of Mary and Joseph.

The statue was taken from a Nativity scene displayed outside the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge sometime between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day. County officials had publicly appealed for its return during a news conference earlier this week.

“To steal the Baby Jesus during Christmas, that’s not a cool thing to do … because that is definitely not in the spirit of Christmas,” Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said at the time. He also said the individual responsible would not face questioning, arrest, or charges if the statue was returned, offering forgiveness during the holiday season.

“If they bring him back to the building — we will just accept it — no questions asked,” he explained. 

Police said the search for the statue involved extensive efforts, including the use of police dogs, according to News12.

“It almost seems, in a way, that the theft is trivial in nature, but it is an affront to Christianity,” Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said. “As a result of that, it certainly means something to us.”

After the statue was returned, Suffolk County police thanked the public for its “assistance and cooperation” in helping locate the missing figure.