An Indiana soldier who had recently returned home from Afghanistan got a not so pleasant welcome from thieves when his house was ransacked Dec. 18 in Hope, Ind.

Staff Sergeant Robert Hutson, who is also an Indiana State Police officer, couldn’t find his garage door opener, so he had left a side garage door unlocked when he left the house for a few hours. Upon returning, he knew something had happened almost immediately. Several doors were standing ajar and all the lights were on.

Burglars stole quite a few things, including electronics, jewelry and Christmas gifts, as well as military medals and Hutson’s police gear. The house was decorated with several signs welcoming him home, made by his daughters. But one of the things that upset him the most was that the criminals even took a piggy bank and mason jars of change belonging to one of his daughters.

“I’ve been gone for a year and everything’s been great and now that daddy’s home … it’s just bad timing,” Hutson said. “Still our hopes are high. The spirit of Christmas still lives in this house and my daughters and my wife and everybody’s safe. That’s the important piece.”

Hutson’s fellow troopers at ISP’s Versailles post have collected donations to help with the loss of the girls’ stolen Christmas presents. And state police and the Bartholomew county sheriff’s department are working to find the thieves.

Source: WTHR