Christmas Gifts Lost, Found, Returned

After Christmas gifts fell from a car on Woodbine Avenue, a group of Good Samaritans picked up the packages and brought them to police who were able to reunite them with their owner. They also took to Facebook in hopes of locating the owners.

By Peter Sloggatt
psloggatt@longislandergroup.com

Thanks to some of Santa’s helpers, Christmas gifts that were lost on Northport’s Main Street have been reunited with their owner.

It was just past 11 p.m. on Tuesday, Christmas night, when the presents tumbled from the back of an SUV traveling south on Woodbine Avenue. The vehicle’s hatch opened as it was crossing Main Street and several Christmas presents came tumbling out, according to Northport Village Police. The driver was apparently unaware of the mishap and the SUV continued on its way.

As it turns out this was all caught on the Northport Police Department’s video surveillance system. The cameras were rolling as several cars passed by the packages, but within one minute a vehicle pulled over.  Three people – two men and a woman – got out of the car and rescued the packages from the street.  After collecting them all, they brought the gifts to Northport Police station where they turned them over with an explanation of how they had been found.

The anonymous finders also put a post up on Facebook detailing the find, and explaining that the gifts had been turned over to Northport Police.

Not long after, the owner of the gifts (the nephew of a Woodbine Avenue resident) called the police station to report the loss and was informed the packages were waiting for him.

They were picked up later Wednesday morning.

Although the finders of the property wished to remain anonymous, Northport Police Chief Bill Ricca commented, “It’s apparent that these were elves who were on their way back to the North Pole when they stopped to spread just a little more Christmas cheer for total strangers.”