Arrest In Church’s Baby Jesus Theft

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OCEAN CITY — Following a 10-month investigation, a Towson, Md. man has been charged with theft after allegedly swiping a baby Jesus statue from a downtown church’s nativity seen early New Year’s Eve morning last December.

Shortly after 6 a.m. last Dec. 31, a baby Jesus statue was stolen from a nativity scene at a church on 3rd Street and Baltimore Avenue in the resort. Surveillance video captured images of a male and female suspect leaving the area in a vehicle.

At the time, the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) urged the suspect or suspects to return the statue to the church or turn it into the department at the Public Safety Building.

For the last 10 months, OCPD detectives have been pursuing leads and investigating the theft. Last week, roughly 10 months after the incident, OCPD detectives identified the suspect as Cameron Coke, 43, of Towson. Coke has been charged with fourth-degree burglary and theft under $100. A preliminary hearing has been set for Nov. 19. OCPD officials said this week the baby Jesus statue has not been recovered.

About The Author: Shawn Soper

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Shawn Soper has been with The Dispatch since 2000. He began as a staff writer covering various local government beats and general stories. His current positions include managing editor and sports editor. Growing up in Baltimore before moving to Ocean City full time three decades ago, Soper graduated from Loch Raven High School in 1981 and from Towson University in 1985 with degrees in mass communications with a journalism concentration and history.