Real-Life Grinch Breaks Into Toys for Tots Warehouse, Drives Off With Truck-Load Full of Christmas Gifts

11/12/2023

### On Friday night, a real-life Grinch stole a truck-load full of toys from a warehouse north of Eureka where the local Toys for Tots organization was storing toys to be distributed to less-fortunate local children this Christmas season. Gregg Gardiner, coordinator for the last 17 years for Toys for Tots in Humboldt, Trinity, Del Norte and northern Mendocino counties, said that “a significant portion” of the toys collected this year were stolen.

“[I]t’s hard to imagine that anyone would break into the Toys for Tots warehouse but that’s exactly what happened on Friday night,” the organization said in a post to its Facebook page [1] this morning. Gardiner told the Outpost that the thief (or thieves), armed with bolt cutters, apparently broke into a truck owned by a local engineering company at Green Diamond Resource Company’s Brainard property, on Hwy.

101 north of Eureka. The perpetrator(s) then broke into the warehouse, disabled and removed the video surveillance equipment as well as a truck that was full of toys, which was driven through the gate at the facility.

According to Gardiner, the truck has been recovered but the toys remain missing. The Eureka Police Department has increased patrols at the site. Toys for Tots is asking the public to be on the lookout for people selling toys or other children’s gifts, such as girls’ hairdryers, at a reduced price, as they may have come from the organization’s warehouse.

Gardiner says anyone wishing to help can send a donation to 2383 Myrtle Ave. Eureka, CA 95501, or donate through the Toys for Tots website [2]. Green Diamond Property Manager Craig Compton posted the following message on the Toys for Tots Facebook page this morning:

All, We have been made aware that there was a break in and theft at the Brainard property last night (12/8). The northern main gate was damaged and is now secured with a chain and a lock.

Both Toys for Tots and Wahlund Construction have let us know they were impacted by theft. Toys for Tots has initiated a Police report and let us know that the Eureka Police Department (EPD) has agreed to conduct some nighttime patrols at Brainard. I think this a temporary commitment on the part of EPD, still very much appreciated.

We will be evaluating some alternatives to improve security for the Brainard site this coming week as several of you have expressed concern and frustration. I don’t know how many different places I saw this weekend with numerous folks volunteering for the Toys for Tots toy drive. It was quite a few.

Knowing how hard all the volunteers work to make the organization successful makes the news of them being the target of theft that much harder to accept. We will work to get the main gate repaired as soon as possible. ###

Lost Coast Communications owner and President Patrick Cleary contributed to this report.

References

^ a post to its Facebook page (www.facebook.com)
^ website (secure.toysfortots.org)