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WEBVTT YOU MIGHT THINK THE COMMUNITY FELT AS DEFLATED AS THIS FRONT YARD SANTA WHEN IT HAPPENED ON NIAGARA LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT. BUT, THEY WERE ENRAGED. ABOUT THE PROPERTY DAMAGE CAPTURED BY GEORGE REITER’S HOME SURVEILLANCE CAMERA. >> AND I THOUGHT ARE YOU KIDDING ME? THIS IS FOR A LITTLE BOY THAT’S NOT GOING TO BE HERE FOR CHRISTMAS AND WE’RE TRYING TO MAKE THE BEST. STARTING TO CHOKE UP, YOU KNOW. IT’S A SHAME HE’S GOT TO GO. AND THEN THEY DO STUFF LIKE THIS. JOHN: OVER ON ADAIR WHERE REITER SPENT TWO DAYS GUARDING THE DISPLAYS FOR TEAM BRODY. WE FOUND THE BOY’S BROTHER AND A NEIGHBOR STRINGING LIGHTS. AND A FEW THOUGHTS TOGETHER ABOUT WHY SOMEONE WOULD TRY TO RUIN DISPLAYS MEANT TO BRING JOY TO A CHILD WITH A FATAL FORM OF CANCER. >> SINCE THEY MOVED ON THE STREET, IT HAS BROUGHT WARMTH TO OUR STREET AND MORE CHILDREN FOR US TO PLAY WITH AND GROW UP AND TAKE CARE OF. JOHN: COLERAIN TOWNSHIP POLICE CREDIT THAT UNIFYING SENTIMENT WITH HELPING TO CRACK THE SEVERAL INSTANCES OF SANTA SLASHING WITH THE APPREHENSION OF TWO TEENS. >> THE GOAL IS NOT TO PUNISH THEM. IT IS TO REHABILITATE AND PUT THEM ON THE RIGHT TRACK. I HOPE THEY LEARN THAT THIS IS THEIR COMMUNITY, THEY SHOULD BE PART OF IT, NOT TAKE AWAY FROM IT. >> LIKE THIS MOUNT HEALTHY WOMAN, DRIVE UP TO OFFER ENCOURAGING WORDS TO BRODY’S DAD. >> MY HUSBAND AND I WANT TO BE A PART OF IT. WE HAVE NO CHILDREN OF OUR OWN. JOHN: BRODY LIKES TO SEE THESE INFLATABLE MINIONS AND SNOWMEN AND SANTA’S EVERY MORNING. HIS FAMILY SAYS THEIR GRATITUDE TO THE COMMUNITY CANNOT BE MEASURED. >> YOU CAN POP A FEW SANTA’S, BUT YOU CAN’T TAKE AWAY CHRISTMAS. JOHN: BRODY’S DAD DIDN’T WANT TO DWELL ON THE ARRESTS. HE’S MORE FOCUSED ON HOW HIS SON WILL BE GRAND MARSHAL FOR SUNDAY’S PARADE WHICH WILL CONCLUDE WITH ROZZI BROTHERS FIREWORKS. LIVE IN COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, JOHN LONDON, WLWT NEW

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Colerain Township police say two teenagers arrested Wednesday night have admitted to damaging yard displays put up to bring an early Christmas to a terminally ill child.According to police, the two 17-year-old boys were confronted with video evidence showing one of them slashing an inflatable Santa Claus on Niagara at 11:31 p.m.They then owned up to doing the same thing on Adair Court where "Team Brody," as its called, is rallying around a child with a rare form of cancer.George Reiter told us the video camera he had mounted on his home came in mighty handy."I don't know why they did it," he said Thursday. "If it was just enjoyment or what? But I'm glad they got caught and I didn't catch 'em. 'Cause I'd have probably been in jail."The anger about the Santa slashings around the Northbrook section of the Township seemed to have deepened the sense of community.Reiter spent two days guarding the displays for Brody's family.The boy's brother and a neighbor were stringing lights this afternoon.They were also putting a few thoughts together about why someone would try to ruin displays meant to bring joy to a child with a fatal form of cancer."Since they moved on the street, it has brought warmth to our street and more children for us to play with and grow up and take care of," said Armon Jackson, who had his own yard display vandalized earlier. "And we're going to continue to put up more and more stuff. No matter how you come down and victimize us, we're going to keep it going. We're never going to shut it down until it's time to."Strangers, including Cindy Rahn, are taking time to come by with well-wishes, telling Brody's father, "I've been looking on Facebook and all that and on the news and everything and we want to be a part of it."Todd Allen noted the bags full of Christmas cards dropped off. He's received messages and cards from all over the world."They tell how much they love my little boy and pray for him and just want to be part of our family and help us goes through this," he said.Colerain Township police credited the surveillance footage for the arrests of the teens who remain in the custody of the juvenile court."The goal is not to punish them," said Chief Mark Denney. "It's to rehabilitate, put 'em on the right track. I hope they learn that this is their community; they should be part of it, not take away from it."One of the youths was charged with fleeing from police. The other had three outstanding warrants for his arrest. Both were charged with violating curfew and criminal damaging. The damage to the display at the Reiters' home was pegged at $120.An effort to stitch it back up and reinflate was being talked about Thursday.Brody's dad said there was no way to put the family's gratitude to the community into words. His son will be the grand marshal for Sunday's 4 p.m. parade that will conclude with Rozzi fireworks around 8 p.m."You can pop a few Santas," he said, "but you can't take away Christmas."