Melrose Grandmother Victim Of Christmas Lights 'Grinch'

MELROSE (CBS) -- Police in Melrose are trying to find the grinch who vandalized the Christmas lights on one house. The timing couldn't be worse, because the woman who loves there recently lost her brother.

"They just didn't like my lights, I guess. Maybe they just don't like lollipops. I don't know (laughter)," homeowner Kathleen Neville said.

In 23 years of celebrating Christmas outside of her Melrose home, Neville has never experienced this.

"That's the one they cut right there."

Her lollipop walkway lights that she picked out with her granddaughter were cut.

"I noticed they didn't go on at night. I just thought maybe something had just happened or became unplugged or something like that and then when I came out in the morning to check the plug to where they go on at night, I realized ooh, we got a problem here."

A problem that the grandmother of five wasn't sure how to interpret.

"It's like a grinch. It is a grinch. We have a grinch somewhere around who doesn't like these."

Neville says she's not alone. Other neighbors in a private Facebook group say vandals hit their home too. She says whoever cut hers lights -- destroyed them.

"You couldn't fix it. It was a clean cut, so we had to go buy more."

Just a ten dollar purchase. But symbolically, these small lights represented more.

"My brother passed away two weeks ago, so I was trying to get in the mood."

A pick-me-up she says she desperately needed.

"I'm the youngest of 10, so I've had four siblings die in two years so it's been really tough."

She says with the new lights comes new life and satisfaction and hopefully a deterrent to vandals.

"I am very happy but if they cut them again, just take them. Don't cut them just take them okay? Please don't take them, but if you're gonna cut them, just take them. I'm not replacing them again."