Peggy McEwan/The Gazette The Nativity Scene on the front lawn of a Damascus home is missing one of the three kings. The stake at the left of the manger supported the four-foot red and white plastic figure that disappeared Dec. 24 or 25.

More News

School board:?Students need more options for technology credit

Capital budget includes money for Bethesda Metro station, Wheaton redevelopment

Parents plan to testify against proposed Oxon Hill development

Mixed-use development proposed for Laurel’s arts district

Takoma Park police aim to catch fleeing thieves

Debi and Tom Abbamonte of Damascus have decorated their front lawn for Christmas with about two dozen illuminated ornaments for each of the past 20 years.

This year was no different — except that rather than letting the ornaments shine in peace, someone took one the three kings, the magi who appear in nativity scenes.

Tom Abbamonte said he thought the king was taken either Christmas Eve or Christmas night.

“The king is about 4 feet tall, molded plastic, red and white with a missing jewel in his crown,” Abbamonte said.

The Abbamontes are hoping that whoever took the ornament or someone who has seen it will either return it or let them know where it is. They did not report the missing magi to the police.

“We just thought it was a prank and it would show up so we just didn’t report it,” Abbamonte said.

Abbamonte said whoever took the statue had to go to some trouble to get it.

”The magi was held in place with a 3-foot wooden stake and plugged into an electric power strip that was wrapped in plastic,” he said. “Someone would have to lift it off the stake and pull the plug out of the power strip so they would have to unwrap [the power strip] and then rewrap it,” he said.

Although the statue of the king has been missing since before Christmas, the Abbamontes want their king back now.

Their yard and the inside of their home are still decorated, awaiting the return of their son, U.S. Marines Capt. Brett Abbamonte, 29, who is now serving in Afghanistan.

Brett Abbamonte is expected home from his second deployment to Afghanistan in March.

“This was his first Christmas away from home and I think it will mean a lot to my son to see it all lit up when he comes home,” Tom Abbamonte said.

Tom Abbamonte said anyone with information about the missing magi can call him at 301-253-6340.