Crystal Brown
cbrown@weatherforddemocrat.com
Local businesses, community members and charitable organizations pulled together at the last minute to make Christmas happen for one Springtown family that experienced multiple unexpected tragedies just days before Santa was due in town.
On Dec. 16, Debbie Hill, 23, was in a car accident and when her sister, Renee’ Hair brought her home from the hospital the Hair home had been burglarized. The thief took all their Christmas gifts and multiple other electronics and household goods.
“Parker County Sheriff’s Deputy Aaron Preston has been dispatched to hundreds of calls and has seen just about everything one could imagine,” stated a press release from the Parker County Sheriff’s Office. “Yet, when he responded to a burglary call Tuesday evening, he was shocked. He said unknown suspect(s) entered the residence they recently moved into and stole every present under the tree.
Hill was traveling on North 51 when Hair said she fell asleep at the wheel and landed in a creek, overturned.
“We think she laid there for about six hours,” Hair said. From what the family can tell, Hill laid conscious in the ditch, unable to move from 4 a.m. until a Sheriff’s deputy discovered her around 11 a.m.
Accident reports stated Hill was half-submerged in water, trapped in the vehicle and unable to dial 9-1-1. She was in an intensive care unit with her family taking turns at her bedside before they all returned home to find their Christmas taken away from them.
Hair and her boyfriend have six children ranging from ages 6 months to 16 years. According to the release from the PCSO, Tritan, 5, came to her and asked, “Is the bad man going to bring our presents back?”
Hair said she was shocked that the presents were wrapped in Transformers wrapping paper and the burglars stole every last gift.
“I tried to put them on the Angel Tree,” she said, but was told the program was over. “I couldn’t believe someone would come in and take presents belonging to children. This is so awful. I had to take a week off of work to care for my sister, so we just don’t have any more money for Christmas.”
Hair said the suspects took more the $1,800 in gifts, along with a laptop computer from the master bedroom and an Xbox in the living area.
“We walked in and I just cried,” she said.
After word got out about this crime, community members started making donations for the family and local businesses helped replace every gift that had been stolen. PCSO Deputy Danie Huffman said the only item they were not able to replace for the family has been their laptop. The items were delivered to the family on Christmas Eve by PCSO deputies.
“There hasn’t been one person I asked for help that didn’t step up to the plate,” Huffman said.
Monday members of Santa U.S.A. drove over from Hurst-Euless-Bedford to deliver additional presents for the family.
The Santa U.S.A. program has been spreading Christmas cheer across the Metroplex for more than 30 years. Dave Moon said they don’t normally travel to Parker County, but when they heard about this incident they wanted to help.
“It just happened that we had an extra box of toys left over,” Moon said. “We’re glad it worked out.”
The Sheriff’s Office is continuing the investigation to find the person or persons responsible for this burglary.\
“The family can rest assured, we are doing everything within our power to locate and apprehend the suspects responsible for stealing Christmas from these children,” said Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler.
