Someone stole from Santa and he needs your help to track down his stuff
Jeff Heft’s professional Santa props were stolen from Point Place in a U-Haul he uses for photo shoots
TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Jeffrey Heft has a unique collection of items for his specific line of work. By day, he’s a tool & dye maker. In his spare time, he’s Santa.
Heft is the owner of I Believe in Santa 62, LLC. He carries around props for photo shoots in a retired U-Haul.
“I specifically bought it just for my Santa business, ‘cause last year about this time, my pickup truck got totaled by a drunk driver,” said Heft.
This morning, Heft woke up to find his truck gone, along with everything inside. He says someone stole it from his driveway in Toledo’s Point Place neighborhood.
“I kept it parked right here, right up against the garage door, and normally I park my little car in front of the truck, but last night, I got home and I was too tired from an event,” explained Heft, who says he lost his Santa suit, his Santa chair, and a fully restored antique sleigh. “The sleigh was actually built in 1893 by the McLaughlin Carriage Works in Oshawa, Ontario, and I had it restored by Amish master craftsmen.”
Heft was able to locate the truck Tuesday morning, but had been cleared out by the thieves.
“Honestly, the stuff is mainly one-of-a-kind items, so I don’t honestly think it was a target for the Santa thing. I think it was more or less, they saw a 17-foot U-Haul truck and they thought it might have been contractor stuff,” added Heft.
He estimates altogether it’s worth about $40,000, but many accessories he’s amassed over the years are priceless and irreplaceable.
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