Christmas bear stolen from Goodyear home's yard, alert shopper helps bring it home

GOODYEAR, Ariz. - With Christmas just weeks away, many Valley residents have their decorations all set up and that includes one family in Goodyear. A Christmas bear was stolen from their yard over the weekend, but this story has a happy ending after all.

The big bear has some serious meaning behind it and the family was ready to give up on the holiday spirit for good, but a FOX 10 viewer saw our story over the weekend and came through.

"Some people just don't know the sentimental value behind things," said Jasmine Gonzales.

Everyone knows this house in Goodyear. It's the "Bear House." Cute, cuddly and really big, but this inflatable Christmas bear isn't just your average holiday lawn decoration.

"It was a bear we got in memory of my nana who passed away three years ago. It means so much to all of our family."

So when it was stolen, the family was stunned. A Christmas ruined, a memory of nana lost, but then some hope appeared online.

"We seen it on Offer Up, we made an offer on it, but by the morning, it was already sold," said Gonzales.

Close, but no cigar.

After seeing our report, many people offered to help the family purchase a new bear, but Gonzales knew it wouldn't be the same, however, she learned that the human spirit has plenty of resolve. A woman reached out after seeing their missing bear at a swap meet.

"She'd seen us on the news and wanted to make sure we had our bear back."

The woman bought the bear for $60 and returned it to the family. No questions asked. Now it's proudly back in their front yard. A Christmas saved and the holiday spirit reborn.

"Our faith in humanity was restored with everybody helping and everybody sharing. We really are just super grateful," said Gonzales.

And true to the Christmas spirit, they never learned the name of that woman. We'll have to call her the ghost of Christmas future.