Police arrest suspect in Baby Jesus theft

STAFFORD — A suspect was arrested Wednesday and charged with grand larceny for her involvement in the theft of a Baby Jesus figure from a Central Park shopping center last week, according to the Fredericksburg Police Department. 

Amanda Crelia, 25, of Spotsylvania, was arrested Wednesday morning, according to Natatia Bledsoe, public information officer for the police department.

The Jesus figure was recovered on the night of Dec. 15 after Crelia led detectives to her father’s home, where she hid the statue. Her father was not aware that it was in his garage, police said.

Crelia was taken to the magistrate’s office, police said. She was later released on bond.

The Baby Jesus figure was taken from a Nativity scene in Central Park in Fredericksburg, police said.

An alert resident helped police solve the mystery after a photo of the stolen figure was posted on Crelia’s Facebook page. The resident printed a copy of the Facebook post before it was taken down and gave it to police. Police found the figure Dec. 15.  

The figure was filled with about 80 pounds of concrete. Rappaport Cos., which owns the shopping center, added the concrete after the figure was stolen in 2005. In that case, the figure was returned within hours.

Police said earlier that at least one other suspect was involved in the theft.

Another baby Jesus figure disappeared over the weekend from a Nativity scene off U.S. 1 in Spotsylvania at the entrance to Southpoint II, according to the developer W.J. Vakos.

It appears that the figure was taken either Friday night or early Saturday.

And yet another baby Jesus statue was also reported stolen from a Nativity scene off State Route 3 in Spotsylvania near Trivett’s Furniture.

Stafford County Sun Managing Editor Tracy Bell contributed to this report.