Stolen they are: Yoda lights among thief's targets

SANTA FE (KRQE) - A Christmas Shop in Santa Fe seems to be the target of a criminal with an affinity for Star Wars merchandise.

The shop has been hit up twice in the past couple of days and the thief took off with novelty Yoda lights and C-3PO lights, among other things.

Tuesday morning, the owner of The Shop: A Christmas Store, found his front window pane shattered by a pellet gun.

The criminal or criminals has cost the small business a few hundred bucks in lost merchandise and repairs.

But now, it seems like the guilt may have caught up with at least one of them. 

“We've been very fortunate and blessed that after being at this location 16 years, we've never had anything major happen to us,” said Rick Griego, owner of Santa Fe’s The Shop: A Christmas Store.

They hadn’t had anything major happen, until now.

Someone took merchandise out of their display case Thursday, damaging the case and taking several novelty Christmas lights, including Yoda lights, C-3PO, Angry Birds, and Yellow Submarine lights.

By Saturday, the display was fixed. But by Sunday…

“The door was in pieces down on the ground and the items in the display had been taken,” Griego said. “The first time, you're upset because you feel like you're violated. The second time, there's more of an anger that comes out.”

Tuesday afternoon, there was a turn of events.

A priest walked into the store, carrying two of the stolen light sets.

“100 years ago or so, if someone had a baby they thought they couldn't take care of, people would drop off a baby anonymously and the pastor would find the right way to take care of a baby - who to give it to,” said Father Terry Brennan, who resides at St. Anne’s. “I thought, maybe I'm supposed to find the right person to give these lights to.”

Then Brennan heard about The Shop’s stolen lights and knew where they belonged.

“It does speak well to someone's human nature that after they took it, they had a feeling of remorse,” Brennan said.

“Somebody got guilty about doing it,” Griego said. “That's what my guess is. That's what my hope is.”

The thief returned the Yoda and Elmo light strands.

No word yet on where C-3PO and the other characters might be.

Griego has been searching Craigslist and Ebay for items matching the description.

In the meantime, he’s planning to install a surveillance camera at the shop.