Frosty The Snowman Brutally Attacked By Vandals

POSTED: 10:53 am EST December 20, 2006
UPDATED: 10:28 am EST December 21, 2006

COLERAIN TWP., Ohio -- 'Tis the season for holiday vandals? That's the case for an Ohio family, whose lawn decorations have fallen victim to attacks from neighborhood scrooges.

A hidden camera caught two people repeatedly stabbing an inflatable 12-foot snowman at a home on Crest Road over the past weekend.

"I thought I heard something, but didn't think much of it. But then my wife came running downstairs saying Frosty was down," said 26-year-old Matt Williquette, who has seen it happen twice before in the last three weeks. "They slashed him there and they also got him in the head twice."

Inside Frosty's mangled torso, Williquette found a screwdriver and footprints on the nylon. His neighbors also heard the commotion.

"I was in bed reading and my husband came in and said, 'Frosty got hit again,' because it's the third time," said Nadine Linquist, who lives right across the street with her young son Isaac.

"It was terrible, real terrible," Isaac said.

"They are the nicest people and I can't imagine why anybody would be after them, specifically," Nadine Linquist said.

Last week, Williquette installed a hidden camera because he knew the vandals would come back. This time he got them on tape.

The police canvassed the area and deputies arrested Robert Snell, who lives on nearby Overdell Drive. He was charged with criminal damaging.

Williquette now plans to install a second camera and once again patch Frosty with another round of masking tape.

"If anything, it makes me want to decorate more and put more stuff out," he said.

Sunday afternoon, a second suspect surrendered to police. Nathaniel Daniels, 18, was arrested and charged with one count of criminal damaging.