Pittsburgh-area business donates new Christmas tree after theft at senior apartment complex
The tale of a stolen Christmas tree at a Pittsburgh senior apartment building got its perfect Christmas ending when a local Christmas tree seller donated a new one.
The tree at the Westlake senior apartments went missing during the night on Friday, Dec. 12, residents said.
"I'm old school. Back in the day, nobody would come in and take your tree," said resident Marie Revis. "Nothing's sacred now."
This was not your ordinary Christmas tree.
"It was pink, so there's not too many pink trees," Michael Delano said with a laugh. "I guess it made it more desirable to these people."
Revis said their community at the apartment building was devastated. They had woken up to the tree being stolen and ornaments in a trail on the ground outside their front door. She went to tell a neighbor, Mike.
"I banged on Mike's door. It was 6:30 in the morning. I'm banging on this door, [saying] 'Mike, our tree is gone. Somebody stole our tree,'" Revis said. "And he's like, 'What? What's wrong with you?' And I'm like, 'What, they took the tree.'"
She said she filed a report with the Pittsburgh police.
"They said they'd be in touch Monday or Tuesday, but no one ever called," Revis said.
A Pittsburgh Public Safety spokesperson said they're looking into the incident.
Left with no options, Michael and another resident, Mike, headed to Jeff's Christmas Trees, part of Jeff's Flowers, on Banksville Road to see if they would donate a tree.
Despite not thinking they'd be successful, Michael says they were given an $80 real tree, free of charge.
"When he came back, he said, 'See, I told you there were still good people in this universe,'" Revis said.
Edward Jordan, the stand manager at Jeff's on Saturday, said that with how nice Mike and Michael were, they could not say no. Jeff's Flowers is located next to Penn Mac in the Strip District.
"So now our Christmas is more complete thanks to their donation, Delano said.
Michael Delano is the younger brother of retired KDKA-TV Money and Politics Editor Jon Delano.