Try as they may, two thieves couldn't steal Christmas from children with AIDS.
Money and presents poured into the Jersey City Police Department after $500 worth of gifts were stolen from under the Christmas tree at St. Clares House. The donations were more than enough to replace the stolen presents."I think this whole thing has been a blessing in disguise," Detective Martin D'Angelo said Sunday.
Two men broke into the basement of St. Clares House in Jersey City Thursday night and locked two workers in a bathroom, said Terry Zealand, executive director of the AIDS Research Foundation for Children, which operates the home.
Five children, all under age 5, slept on the second floor as the thieves stole a television, VCR and gifts intended for about 40 families with AIDS-infected children.
"They cleaned us out," Zealand said. "We had gifts in a closet and they took those, too."
D'Angelo said police alone have contributed about $400 so far and with the help of media coverage, many people donated toys and sent in checks.
Zealand said his foundation will use some of the extra money to buy gifts for children at other programs it runs in Elizabeth and Neptune.
Even "members of the criminal element" have called in tips on the robbery, D'Angelo said.
"Hey, they have families, too," he said. "A lot of them were not happy to hear about this."