San Ysidro Senior Citizen Accused of Grand Theft... Stealing Toys from Children

On April 1st, 73 year old Virginia Kelly of San Ysidro was arrested at her home on felony charges of grand theft and embezzlement. The San Diego District Attorney's Office alleges that Kelly has been hoarding toys from the Toys for Tots program and the Child Abuse Prevention Foundation. More toys were allegedly donated directly to Kelly for distribution to children. 

Investigators, acting on a warrant, painstakingly added up every marble, happy meal give-away and nail polish bottle they seized to announce that Kelly was in possession of 11,000 toys. They even made a video to convey the "shocking" discovery to the jury pool. Bonnie Dumanis, the San Diego District Attorney, made herself available immediately to try this case in the press saying, "Stealing from a charity and depriving needy children in San Diego of the chance to get a new toy is despicable."

It will be that video and Dumanis' cries of injustice that stick in the minds of every sound-bite junky in the San Diego County. The even-handed article telling Virginia Kelly's side of the story that appeared in the dwindling circulation of the San Diego Union Tribune on April 7th will likely have little impact. Public responses to that article, "Woman says she didn't sell toys," are already drawing parallels to the Grinch that Stole Christmas!