HOLLAND, Mich. (WOOD) — A Holland family was left confused and upset after one of their family holiday items was stolen off their porch earlier this week.

Mark Micheli and his family had their Christmas tree stolen off their front porch just after midnight on Monday morning, they told News 8. 

“On some level it’s violating. On another, it’s absurd,” he said. “I … just felt sad and bummed about it.”

He and his family had talked about when they were going to set up their Christmas decorations, Micheli said. In order to surprise their two children, they brought the tree up from their basement and left it outside on the porch, still in its bag.

Just hours after it was put on the porch, the tree was taken. It was all caught on their home security camera. The alleged thief — wearing a blue hoodie and carrying what appears to be an Amazon package — is seen walking up the steps of the Micheli family’s porch, before snagging the tree bag and walking away.

Watch the security camera footage in the player below.

Micheli noticed the tree was gone the next day. While the family celebrated what they were grateful for on Thanksgiving, he said it did put a damper on the holiday season.

“We have just paused for a minute to collect ourselves,” he said.

They’re still deciding whether they’ll buy a new fake tree or get a real tree this year, though they’d love to get the tree back.

“It’s a family tree, it was given to me by my parents,” Micheli said. “The intention was to have it for a long time. … More than anything we would just love to have the tree back, no questions asked.”

Micheli said it was just like “The Grinch” story.

“I just read ‘The Grinch’ to my son like two nights before and I was like, this is ripped from the pages of ‘The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.’ I joked with people I feel like Cindy Lou Who,” he said. “It’s certainly not in keeping with the holiday spirit of course. But also it just seemed like a really heavy, awkward thing to steal.”

Micheli said that the situation doesn’t make him feel unsafe, but it did open his eyes to being more aware of their surroundings. 

“You’re certainly a little more vigilant,” he said. “I try to have a lot of compassion for the individual.”

News 8 reached out to the Holland Department of Public Safety regarding the incident and has not yet heard back.