Giant $1,500 Halloween pumpkin decoration stolen from California farm
By Denzen Cortez
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LOOMIS, California (KCRA) — A family-owned pumpkin patch in Loomis is hoping to recover a giant inflatable jack-o’-lantern stolen just days before Halloween.
Archer and Annie Lombardi, owners of Solstice Farm along Horseshoe Bar Road, said the decoration, affectionately named “Jackie O,” was stolen Sunday, Oct. 18, about 30 minutes after the farm closed.
Surveillance video from a neighboring home shows a vehicle parked near the farm around 9:36 p.m. for approximately five minutes before driving away. The footage helped neighbors pinpoint when the theft occurred.
Archer Lombardi said whoever took the inflatable cut its securing ropes before making off with it.
The pumpkin, estimated to stand about 10 feet tall, was one of two giant jack-o’-lanterns at the farm. Jackie O served as a roadside landmark, helping visitors locate the small pumpkin patch.
“People know where we are located so they can come by and be like, ‘Oh, you know, it’s just turn right after the big pumpkin,'” Annie Lombardi said.
The family said the inflatable was custom-made and imported for approximately $1,500. Replacing it would take at least 45 days, according to Archer Lombardi.
Neighbors have since rallied around the family, sharing the theft on community social media pages and calling for “Justice for Jackie.”
Despite the financial loss, the Lombardis said they would prefer to have the decoration returned rather than involve law enforcement.
“Just bring Jackie O home, and there’ll be no questions asked,” Archer Lombardi said.
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