By Erica Solvig
The Cincinnati Enquirer

MOUNT HEALTHY - Just a few days after Christmas, someone vandalized a 54-year-old Nativity set, stole the Christ child figurine and replaced it with a stuffed monkey.

Paul R. Young Sr. surveys the damaged figure of Mary in the nativity scene at his funeral home. (Michael Snyder photo) | ZOOM |

The perpetrators broke into the set at the Paul R. Young Funeral Home, 7345 Hamilton Ave., early Saturday morning. They also stole the $100 security system, broke the fingers off other wax figures and let the live sheep, goats and donkeys out of the fenced area, Paul R. Young Sr. said.

"Why people would come and want to destroy this, I don't know," the 81-year-old said. "You have to have a warped mind in order to do that ... I don't understand them. We put it up so people could enjoy it and so people could tell their children about the birth of Christ."

Mount Healthy police said Sunday that investigators have not made any arrests in the case.

Area police spent Saturday morning rounding up the animals, including a lamb born earlier in the week, from Mount Healthy streets.

A cardboard sign saying the baby had been taken now sits in the Nativity set. The broken figures will be fixed and the Christ child figurine will be replaced for next year's display.

Mr. Young, who studied at Madame Tussaud's wax museum in London, made all the wax figures in the Nativity. Each includes glass eyes and real hair, and a few - including baby Jesus - were sculpted after family members.

"It is sort of our life. It means a lot to us," Mr. Young said.

"We'll probably have to put guards around the clock on it next year, but we'll do it. It's unfortunate, but if that's what we have to do, that's what we'll do."

E-mail esolvig@enquirer.com

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