Fright Before Christmas : Thieves Steal Man’s Presents, But Officers Do Right by Victim

The Grinch packed a pistol, but thankfully, Santa wore a badge. Van Nuys resident Esteban Perez, 25, saw his life flash before his eyes and his Christmas almost go down the tubes Sunday morning when a carload of robbers stole the gifts he had bought for his mother and children.

But Los Angeles police officers who were called to the scene decided to restore Perez’s Christmas cheer, taking him to the Van Nuys police station and giving him toys from the LAPD’s own Christmas stash.

“I’m really thankful. Because of them, my kids are going to have something,” Perez said. Asked how he would explain to his two children, ages 6 and 2, why they won’t get everything on their Christmas list, Perez said, “I’ll tell them that Santa Claus had a flat tire.”

Perez was up early Sunday to do last-minute Christmas shopping in the swap meets along Sepulveda Boulevard. He tossed his purchases--lamps and a blanket for his mother and perfume for his sister-in-law--in the trunk of his car, along with gifts he had bought earlier for his children.

Perez, a drugstore clerk, was planning to head to his job in Culver City, then meet his children and girlfriend at his mother’s house in South Gate for Christmas Eve. But a Chevrolet Impala full of gun-toting thieves put a crimp in his plans.

As Perez stopped at a red light on Sepulveda at Rayen Street about 6 a.m., the robbers’ car pulled alongside, one occupant pointed a pistol at him and led him onto a side street. One robber then held a gun to Perez’s head while the others grabbed the bags of gifts from his trunk and fled.

“I just looked at the guys and they were taking my bags,” Perez said. “Those guys got me. And on Christmas.”

Perez told arriving officers of his woes, and they replaced some of his lost gifts with items from the Van Nuys division’s yuletide supply of toys that they usually give to area children.

“That took some of the sting off,” Sgt. Tony Avila said.

The Frisbees, dolls and books brightened Perez’s day. “I got happy,” he said. “I didn’t expect that. You know how people talk about cops. I wasn’t expecting that.”

Still, the bandits made off with Perez’s entire Christmas supply--more than $800 worth of presents, according to Avila. “They took him good,” he said.

Perez was glum about the robbery Sunday afternoon. “That’s money I was saving since June,” he said. But he refused to let the holdup take all the glimmer off the holiday. “I’m not going to let it mess with my head,” he said.