Police Search For Vandal Ruining Christmas Display In Upper Darby

By Brad Segall

UPPER DARBY, Pa. (CBS) — Police in Upper Darby, Delaware County are searching for the vandal who has cut the wires on a neighborhood holiday light display five times in the last week.

Police say there’s a Scrooge roaming around ruining the Christmas spirit for the residents of Delmar Road in the Westbrook Park section of the township.

70-year-old Joseph Russella has been stringing lights and decorations for nearly half a century, but this year, someone has been cutting the wires to the display. Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood says they’ll keep a close eye on that area in an effort to catch the vandal.

“Like all types of vandalism, I always describe it as a cowardly act,” Chitwood says. “They go under the cloak of darkness. It’s probably late at night or early in the morning when they do their dastardly deed.”

Russella kept repairing the damage and relighting the displays, but now he says the damage is so bad that he can’t turn the lights back on.

Chitwood believes it’s somebody from the neighborhood.

“This guy does it for the neighborhood, for the kids,” he says, “and then like I say some moron comes through and just evil mean spirited intentionally cuts the wires.”

Police are hoping somebody comes forward with some information on the recent vandalism.