A nightmarish theft of demon butler caught on camera

First Christmas, now Halloween. People keep stealing Josephine's decorations.

"It's a disgrace," said the 66-year-old South Philadelphia grandmother. "I'm chaining everything down this Christmas."

Twice in less than a year, Josephine's home on the 1100 block of Fitzgerald Street has been pillaged by holiday thieves.

For that reason, she asked that her last name not be printed.

"I'm already being targeted," she said.

At Christmas, it was her Santas holding big lollipops.

That night, Josephine's son, who lives across the street, had his home security camera rolling.

Police released the video - adding images of the Grinch and some Christmas music for a little holiday flair - and arrests were made.

Josephine went to court, and in April, Marie Amari, 45, of nearby Cantrell Street, was sentenced to six months of probation.

On Thursday, around 3:25 a.m., Josephine's son's cameras were rolling again.

This time, they filmed another woman as she untied Josephine's demon butler doll from the railing, first undoing the cord around the doll's neck, then from around his feet, a cigarette pinched between her lips as she calmly went about her work.

"It must have took her five minutes," Josephine said. "She just took her time."

On Monday, police released the video - this one set to scary music.

It begins when a car with a woman in the passenger seat rolls past Josephine's house, decorated with her customary care: black drapes and skulls in the windows, tombstones sprouting from the sidewalk, giant crawling spiders and hanging ghouls, and, under the mailbox, the candelabra-holding demon butler.

Moments after the car passes, a woman strolls up - she's 30 to 40, in a white hooded sweatshirt, tight jeans, and with her hair in a bun - the same woman, police believe, who was in the passenger seat of the passing car.

For a moment, she seems to eye the tombstones, but then goes for the grimacing butler, which Josephine bought last Halloween for $60.

"It was a scary butler," Josephine said. "He had a bird on his shoulder, and when you walked by, the bird would chirp and he would say things."

In Josephine's 40 years on Fitzgerald Street, no one had ever stolen her decorations - and now they've been hit twice in one year.

She can't help but feel like taking it all down, she said. "But I've got grandkids and they want me to keep it up."

She sighed, resigned.

"What are you going to do?" she asked. "It's a disgrace."

Anyone with information about this crime is being asked to contact South Detectives at 215-686-3013.