RedjackRyan
07-26-2007, 12:50 PM
PATERSON -- Someone stole 1,000 gallons of water from Daisy Valdivia's backyard. And they didn't spill a drop.
Valdivia woke Wednesday morning to find that her family's inflatable pool, hip high and 10 feet in diameter and filled with water, was stolen from her backyard in the middle of the night. There is no evidence that the water was poured out, pumped out, evaporated or drunk.
"I've never heard of a pool being stolen, let alone one with water in it," Valdivia said.
According to Valdivia, the theft must have occurred between 1 a.m., the time her husband went to bed, and 5 a.m., the time she woke to put out the recycling.
"For them to do something that fast, that's what amazes me," she said.
Valdivia, a lifelong city resident, moved into her home on McBride Avenue just five weeks ago. She and her husband purchased the bright blue pool for their three children less than a month ago. They never expected that it would be stolen in a neighborhood Valdivia described as "a nice, quiet area."
Although Valdivia said she is grateful nothing else was stolen, she was surprised that the thieves went through all that trouble for a pool.
"We have two grills, chairs, umbrellas, they're much easier to take," she said.
According to Lt. Anthony Traina of the Paterson Police Department, it's clear that this was carefully planned.
"Someone took a little time and effort thinking about this," he said. "This wasn't just walking by and snatching a bike. That tells us something, too."
In light of the theft, Valdivia said she is considering putting up a fence, She also has questions for the thieves who stole her pool.
"I just want to know what the heck they did with the water," she said.
Valdivia woke Wednesday morning to find that her family's inflatable pool, hip high and 10 feet in diameter and filled with water, was stolen from her backyard in the middle of the night. There is no evidence that the water was poured out, pumped out, evaporated or drunk.
"I've never heard of a pool being stolen, let alone one with water in it," Valdivia said.
According to Valdivia, the theft must have occurred between 1 a.m., the time her husband went to bed, and 5 a.m., the time she woke to put out the recycling.
"For them to do something that fast, that's what amazes me," she said.
Valdivia, a lifelong city resident, moved into her home on McBride Avenue just five weeks ago. She and her husband purchased the bright blue pool for their three children less than a month ago. They never expected that it would be stolen in a neighborhood Valdivia described as "a nice, quiet area."
Although Valdivia said she is grateful nothing else was stolen, she was surprised that the thieves went through all that trouble for a pool.
"We have two grills, chairs, umbrellas, they're much easier to take," she said.
According to Lt. Anthony Traina of the Paterson Police Department, it's clear that this was carefully planned.
"Someone took a little time and effort thinking about this," he said. "This wasn't just walking by and snatching a bike. That tells us something, too."
In light of the theft, Valdivia said she is considering putting up a fence, She also has questions for the thieves who stole her pool.
"I just want to know what the heck they did with the water," she said.