Reindeernaper Bolts Like Blitzen
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The Case of the Kidnaped Reindeer came to a happy end Thursday as University Towne Centre officials recovered the 9-foot fiberglass statue, missing since Dec. 11.
Shopping center officials said they received an anonymous call Wednesday from a man who identified himself as a UC San Diego student. They agreed to treat the kidnaping as a prank, in return for the reindeer’s return.
With a cash reward in hand, center officials rendezvoused with the caller on the UCSD campus at 2:30 p.m. Thursday. The reindeer was there, but so was a campus police car. The caller fled and didn’t collect his reward.
The police car’s presence was an accident, and police had not been notified, said Mark Ashton, general manager of the center. He said the reindeer was slightly damaged but will be restored so it can be used next Christmas season.
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