THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 31, 1994 TAG: 9408310433
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MIKE MATHER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Short : 34 lines
Barney the purple dinosaur has been stolen.
Gone. Vanished. Snatched.
Cold-blooded thieves stole the cold-blooded reptile.
Police have no clues, no suspects, no motive.
Helen Speight, manager of the Groom's Corner tuxedo and costume shop, said the body section of the 6-foot purple costume was stolen from the front sidewalk of the store in Lynnhaven North shopping center on Monday evening.
The squatty tyrannosaur was last seen at 5:30 p.m., recovering from two days of birthday parties, Speight said.
``He came back from the weekend and he was kind of, you know, smelly,'' Speight said. ``We turned him inside out and put him on a sign post to air out, and someone took him.
``It may seem funny, but it's really not too funny for me,'' Speight said. ``It is an expensive costume and I'd like to have it back. I have more birthday parties coming up this weekend.''
Anyone with information can call the police at 427-0000. Callers may be eligible for a cash reward. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
Barney, the purple dinosaur
by CNB