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Woman says chairs set up for parade were stolen

Posted at 9:16 AM, Dec 02, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-02 11:16:18-05

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    CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WTKR) — Christina Suarez said setting up and watching the Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade is a tradition for her family. This is their third year in a row after returning home from overseas.

Last week, she went to her spot on South Battlefield Boulevard and Old Drive to set out her chairs. But by Monday, they were nowhere to be seen.

“We were driving back from my son’s jujitsu class and I looked over and they were gone,” said Suarez.

She had set out five chairs and four of them were no longer there. One was a U.S. Navy chair, one was a New York Giants chair and the other two were solid color chairs.

“I was just really disappointed in our community and hope it wasn’t done out of malice. It’s not about the chairs, just the principle,” said Suarez.

She’s not the only one who likes to claim her spot early. Many people put out their chairs out in preparation for the parade. JoAnn Murphy told News 3 she always tries to get the same spot for 10 years because it’s their family tradition. She usually comes out about two nights or the night before the parade to secure the spot.

“If you come back here tomorrow, you’ll be lucky if you find a place to sit,” said Murphy.

According to Suarez, it’s an unspoken rule in Great Bridge not to touch chairs already set out. Suarez has gotten over her disappointment and is gearing up for the last time her family will watch the parade before moving overseas again.

“We bought new chairs, and it’s not going to stop us or take away our Christmas spirit.”

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