Coats stolen from Salvation Army

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that the Grinch has visited Richmond.

The Salvation Army says 300 new winter coats were stolen from its Chesterfield distribution center. The coats were to be given to needy children and adults.

Authorities think the coats were stolen last week while Salvation Army volunteers signed up people to come in and select donated items. The center doesn’t have security cameras.

All the coats were donated last year and stored until this holiday season. They were swiped from a cordoned-off area inside the distribution center, located in a mall.

"From the Salvation Army's point of view, the coats aren't stolen from the Salvation Army, they're stolen from people in need," Salvation Army spokesman Jeff Baldwin told the Times-Dispatch. "You're taking [a coat] from a kid who needed it to stay warm this winter."