A Toronto couple is looking for justice in a vicious knife attack that left three inflatable Christmas characters with severe injuries, including a hole in Mickey Mouse’s head and a large gash in a teddy bear’s belly.
Adam Broker and Chris Basnicki captured the incident on their home security video just before 7 p.m. on Saturday night, when three teens were recorded attacking the lawn decorations.
“You hear them clearly – they’re laughing,” Broker told CTV Toronto. “And then you hear them say, get the big one! And that’s three stab wounds to the snowman.”
Broker says the teens appeared to be recording the incident as well.
The attack left Broker and his partner, Basnicki, feeling frustrated and furious.
“I was devastated… violated because I do this for the kids in the neighbourhood,” said Basnicki, who sports a long, white beard. He says he’s been using that beard to dress as an authentic-looking Santa Claus for kids in the area for 12 years. He also sets up elaborate lawn displays as part of his festive efforts each Christmas.
Basnicki says he was particularly upset about the damage caused to his inflatable teddy bear. “We’ve already started sewing him up but he is slashed from here to here,” he said, holding his hands approximate a foot apart.
Several neighbours stopped by to express their sympathies for the locally-beloved display.
“They do a lot of stuff for the kids around here,” one man said.
“These kids really ruined the Christmas spirit,” another woman said. “We’re absolutely disgusted.”
Broker and Basnicki say the teens caused approximately $500 in damage to their display.
The incident has been reported to police.
“It’s a group of kids that have no respect for anything,” Broker said.
With files from CTV Toronto
