Tyr-Ziu Saxnot
12-25-2013, 10:14 AM
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/normandy-family-gets-heart-warming-christmas-gift-from-the-caring/article_48e8e9ac-cf5d-57a1-a17e-c92510599a31.html
Normandy family gets heart-warming Christmas gift from the public 14 hours ago • By Margaret Gillerman mgillerman@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8126 NORMANDY • Many good-hearted people with the holiday spirit donated gifts of money on Christmas Eve for the Lilly family, whose Christmas presents were stolen right out from under their tree Dec. 15 while they were at church.
Thieves broke into the Lilly home, then unwrapped and stole the children's Christmas presents during a home robbery.
Normandy Police Chief Col. Frank Mininni said Tuesday that people read about the Lilly's presents being stolen and on Tuesday brought money and checks to the police station for the family. By about 1 p.m., about $1,300 had been donated, Mininni said. That was on top of the $300 worth of credit and gift certificates that Normandy police gave the family Monday.
"It's really neat to see the community come out and support the family," he said. "We got calls from Glen Echo Country Club and from everywhere. It kind of restores your faith in the Christmas holiday."
Mininni said that he and others brought the additional money over to the Lilly family Tuesday afternoon.
"Hopefully they were able to get some last-minute Christmas gifts," he said.
Normandy Officer Bryce Schindler said that calls and people continued to come in the rest of the day.
"It's been kind of steady all day," Schindler said. "The phone has been ringing and people have been coming in and out."
Timothy Lilly, who has a medical disability, had said that when the family returned from church Dec. 15 there was wrapping paper everywhere, and the children fell on the floor crying.
Police have since charged a high school student, Leonard Dailey, 18, of the 5900 block of Sheriton Drive, with two counts of burglary and one of stealing for the incident involving the Lillys and for a second incident. Police identified Dailey from shoe prints in the snow and say there was an accomplice. A great ending to a sad story. Imagine stealing Christmas presents from a family. Catching the guilty party was just the icing on the cake. The family getting such generous donations from great warm hearted people was the cake IMHO. -Tyr
Normandy family gets heart-warming Christmas gift from the public 14 hours ago • By Margaret Gillerman mgillerman@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8126 NORMANDY • Many good-hearted people with the holiday spirit donated gifts of money on Christmas Eve for the Lilly family, whose Christmas presents were stolen right out from under their tree Dec. 15 while they were at church.
Thieves broke into the Lilly home, then unwrapped and stole the children's Christmas presents during a home robbery.
Normandy Police Chief Col. Frank Mininni said Tuesday that people read about the Lilly's presents being stolen and on Tuesday brought money and checks to the police station for the family. By about 1 p.m., about $1,300 had been donated, Mininni said. That was on top of the $300 worth of credit and gift certificates that Normandy police gave the family Monday.
"It's really neat to see the community come out and support the family," he said. "We got calls from Glen Echo Country Club and from everywhere. It kind of restores your faith in the Christmas holiday."
Mininni said that he and others brought the additional money over to the Lilly family Tuesday afternoon.
"Hopefully they were able to get some last-minute Christmas gifts," he said.
Normandy Officer Bryce Schindler said that calls and people continued to come in the rest of the day.
"It's been kind of steady all day," Schindler said. "The phone has been ringing and people have been coming in and out."
Timothy Lilly, who has a medical disability, had said that when the family returned from church Dec. 15 there was wrapping paper everywhere, and the children fell on the floor crying.
Police have since charged a high school student, Leonard Dailey, 18, of the 5900 block of Sheriton Drive, with two counts of burglary and one of stealing for the incident involving the Lillys and for a second incident. Police identified Dailey from shoe prints in the snow and say there was an accomplice. A great ending to a sad story. Imagine stealing Christmas presents from a family. Catching the guilty party was just the icing on the cake. The family getting such generous donations from great warm hearted people was the cake IMHO. -Tyr