Palmer police recover stolen nativity scene found near Chickaloon

A handcrafted nativity display that vanished from a church parking lot in Palmer, Alaska, was recovered on Thursday night, miles from where it disappeared earlier in the week.

The incident began on Tuesday or Wednesday when the structure went missing from the lot at St. Michael’s Parish. Father Michael Shields described the display as a handcrafted wooden crèche cabin that sat on a flatbed trailer. He stated the item was valued in the tens of thousands of dollars.

The search effort accelerated after community members reported a sighting via Facebook. These tips pointed investigators toward the Glenn Highway near Chickaloon. Shields said he received the information at 1 p.m. on Thursday and immediately drove to the area to look for the display himself.

Although the pastor did not spot the scene during his late-night drive, local law enforcement located it while he was in the field. Palmer police officers contacted Shields to confirm they had found the structure. They reported that the nativity scene remained in good condition upon discovery.

Shields believes the thieves abandoned the display after the flatbed trailer developed flat tires. He noted that the scene was found partially hidden among trees. The pastor said the identity of the person or people who stole the item remains unknown at this time.

The figures inside the cabin were created over a seven-year period by parishioners of St. Michael’s Parish. Shields explained that the figurines were molded after an Italian image of Jesus. He estimated the value of the pieces alone to be between $25,000 and $30,000.

The church plans to relocate the recovered scene to a spot near the Palmer train depot in the center of town. Shields said the widespread community concern on social media, which reached from Glennallen to Valdez, helped facilitate the quick recovery.