Caught on Camera: Thief steals black spider decoration from Cleveland home

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Jeremiah Escajeda said when he stepped outside of his Ohio City home Sunday to walk his dog, he noticed something was missing from his Halloween decorations, right away.

“Somebody stole one of my spiders. It used to be right there and this is the empty spider nest,” he said.

Escajeda said when he reviewed his security footage he was stunned to see the crime, caught on the web: a man struggling to get the big, black spider off of his porch.

“It was zip-tied there so he kind of stood over here, used a lighter, burned the zip-ties off and just took it over the edge here, took it over the fence and then ran that way and got into his vehicle,” said Escajeda. ”He wanted it. He wanted it badly,” he said.

Escajeda tells 19 News he posted the video on social media and his friends encouraged him to file a report with Cleveland Police, in light of the dangerous methods the thief used to take the spider: using a lighter to get the spider loose.

He’s relieved it didn’t start a fire and says he doesn’t plan to press charges but he really wants the culprit to do the right thing. The spider cost him about $220 and now he has to replace it.

“You know, I was a punk kid once too, I get it but there’s a time and place for it and you just have to respect people’s property,” said Escajeda.

Call Cleveland Police Department if you know anything about the crime: (216) 621-1234.

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