Baby Jesus statue stolen, recovered in Quincy, again

QUINCY, Mass. (WHDH) -- The manger scene in front of Quincy City Hall was without a baby Jesus, and it wasn’t the first time a thief has taken it.

The statue was stolen either Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.

“The baby was bolted down to the manger itself, so whoever did take it put a lot of effort into it. They didn’t just walk over and pick it up and carry it away,” said Christopher Walker, of the Quincy Mayor’s Office.

On Thursday the statue turned up a mile away at Mt. Wollaston Cemetery.

“They apparently had some second thoughts and hopefully in the spirit of the season decided better on what they had done, recognizing how important this is as a symbol to a lot of people,” said Walker.

The statue is part of a nativity scene granted to the city from Sacred Heart Church. The whole scene is valued at $25,000.

This wasn’t the first time baby Jesus was stolen from his manger. In 2004, someone grabbed the statue and a few days later a tipster said the statue was in Quincy’s town river. Diver teams were called in to retrieve it. Instead, a local boater found the slightly damaged Christ child on the banks of the river.

On Thursday, a resident was walking his dog and discovered baby Jesus in the cemetery.

“I’m glad it was found. They should put it back and leave it alone. Let people enjoy it,” said one man.

Quincy police don’t believe the two thefts are related.