UPDATE: An Open Door received more than enough donated gifts to be able to give presents to all the children it supports, and "Jingle Bash" went ahead as planned. Read more here.
Hundreds of South Los Angeles children anticipating donated gifts from a nonprofit's 10th annual holiday event may be disappointed after thieves made off with bags of presents.
The bags were stolen this week from a Marina del Rey garage, where they awaited distributed by An Open Door, a group that helps inner-city kids.
"We never feared there was anything wrong with putting them in a garage, but I guess, this year, someone was watching us," volunteer Aaron Morrison said.
A note left for the thieves on the garage reads" "God is watching you and so am I … You reap what you sow!"
The nonprofit's 10th annual "Jingle Bash" is set for Saturday. The event distributes presents to about 200 children.
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Volunteers with An Open Door were incensed by the impact of the crime.
"You're not stealing just from our garage. This is not just our stuff. This belongs to someone else," Morrison said.
Volunteer Priscilla Cordero warned, "It didn't only affect just one family. It affected multiple families, so they'll have that on their conscience."
Now organizers are scrambling to find enough gifts after the theft.
Donations have been coming in since news of the theft got out, though.
They're being kept hidden in a secret place, Morrison said.
To find out how to donate, go to An Open Door's website.
