Grinch Steals Christmas From Autistic Child On Long Island
BETHPAGE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - A large holiday display purchased for an autistic child has been destroyed in Bethpage, Long Island.
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NYPD officer Arnaldo Magnoni said his 7-year-old son loved the colorful inflatable merry-go-round that spun around with Santa Claus on it.
That is, until the holiday decoration was cut into pieces and left on the ground.
"There's so few things that kids who have special needs actually come to love and appreciate and that was just one of his things," Magnoni said.
"Very difficult for any child to lose something on the holidays, but I think it's more intense when it's a child who has autism or special needs because they don't comprehend why it's not working anymore. They just see it as 'It's gone' and they can't figure it out," he said.
He is now on the hunt for a similar inflatable display.
"A.J. - that's my son's name - is very repetitive. He has to see the same thing every day or he questions it," he said. "I'm going crazy looking for another float."
The Nassau County Police have been informed of the crime, but, so far, no arrests have been made.
