Four handcrafted sculptures damaged in week-long spree. Surveillance video captures suspects. Community outraged over attack on 8-year holiday tradition.

STROUDSBURG, MONROE COUNTY — Someone stole Pocono Joe’s fishing pole. Ripped the noses off Conehead and Olaf. Made off with Phil Me’s artfully crafted pencil.

Now police are hunting three Grinches caught on camera vandalizing some of Stroudsburg’s most beloved holiday icons — the handpainted snowmen that have lined Main Street every winter since 2017.

Stroud Area Regional Police released surveillance footage showing three individuals damaging several of the life-size sculptures on the evening of December 4th at approximately 7:36 p.m. The vandals apparently weren’t finished: a fourth snowman was added to the damage report on December 14th.

“This is a beautiful thing in Stroudsburg. I’ve never seen it before in any other town,” said a local business owner when a snowman was vandalized in a previous incident. “This is a nice attraction because I found many people taking photos and kids playing with them.”

What Was Damaged

The casualties include some of the display’s most recognizable characters:

Pocono Joe — The fisherman snowman stationed outside the Pocono Mountains Visitors Center at 1004 W. Main Street had his fishing pole stolen. Pocono Joe was the very first Snowmen of Stroudsburg sculpture ever created, according to Go Collaborative founder Jim Evanisko.

Conehead — Located at the intersection of Main Street and 8th Street, this snowman had its nose removed.

Olaf — Positioned on the 600 block of Main Street, the Frozen-inspired snowman also lost its nose.

Phil Me — An artistically designed pencil prop was removed from this sculpture.

The damage is particularly frustrating for the local artists who spend months designing and constructing each snowman. According to Go Collaborative, artists must order Styrofoam, treat it, assemble the structures, and hand-paint every detail — a process that can take 40 hours or more per sculpture.

This Isn’t the First Time

The snowmen have been targeted before. In February 2023, surveillance video captured three men vandalizing a snowman on the 500 block of Main Street around 2 a.m. One person hit the snowman in the head, another kicked it off its planter, and a third kicked it while it was already in the street.

In another incident, four young men were charged after drinking at a Main Street bar, punching the heads off several snowmen, and then returning later to steal the heads in an attempt to cover their tracks. They eventually turned themselves in and returned the heads. The damage was estimated in the thousands of dollars.

An 8-Year Community Tradition at Risk

The Snowmen of Stroudsburg isn’t just decoration — it’s an economic engine for downtown businesses during the slow winter months.

Go Collaborative, the nonprofit behind the project, launched the display in 2017 specifically to draw visitors downtown when foot traffic typically drops. This year, 60 life-size snowmen — including 10 new designs — were placed throughout the borough.

“This project brings residents and visitors together while showcasing everything Stroudsburg has to offer during a beautiful time of year,” Evanisko has said. “The Snowmen of Stroudsburg have rejuvenated the borough and shine a light on our talented artist community.”

Local businesses participate by distributing snowmen maps and trading cards for children to collect. Shops like Pocono Soap created special Snowmen of Stroudsburg merchandise, with proceeds supporting Go Collaborative and the artists.

The display runs through February and has grown from 37 sculptures in its fifth year to 60 this season.

Police Seek Tips

Stroud Area Regional Police are asking anyone who recognizes the three individuals in the surveillance footage — or anyone who happens to possess a fishing pole, two snowmen noses, and a pencil that don’t belong to them — to submit a tip.

Tips can be submitted anonymously through the Stroud Area Regional Police Department’s online portal. Tipsters can also leave contact information for the investigating officer.

Case Reference: 2025-029608

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How to Submit a Tip:

Visit monroe.crimewatchpa.com/sarpd or contact Stroud Area Regional Police Department at 100 Day Street, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301.

All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.