Two men have been arrested for ‘kidnapping’ the baby Jesus from a public nativity scene – before allegedly demanding a ransom pay-out of £1,700.
The masked suspects, aged 21 and 19, posted a video on TikTok while in possession of the religious figurine.
The men, who called themselves ‘the kidnappers’, reportedly demanded EUR 2,000 (£1,732) from the residents of Sant Vicent del Raspeig in the Valencian Community, Spain, for its safe return.
Reports say they claimed the authorities were “not taking good care of baby Jesus” and believed locals would be willing to stump up the cash for its return.
They reportedly said: “If you don’t do it, we will harm the Baby Jesus.
“It will sleep with us tonight.”
Footage also shows the suspects appearing to steal the figurine from the outside nativity scene, before carrying it to a waiting getaway vehicle.
The annual festive display is popular among locals and the alleged theft caused a stir in the community.
The city council announced that they have arrested the pair over the matter.
The statue was found in a bin near the nativity display on 17 December, according to Mayor Pachi Pascual.
It has since been returned to its rightful place in the display.
Carlos Sanchez, the government’s representative in Alicante, said the incident was “very unfortunate” and “not funny at all”.
The investigation is ongoing.
