Community Christmas Tree Missing in San Clemente, a Cherished Tradition Lost

An empty space where a Christmas tree stood, erected for the community to help decorate together, near the railway at Calafia Beach in San Clemente, Calif., on Dec. 8, 2020. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Each year, under the cloak of darkness, Deborah Sheldrake-Stetson places a Christmas tree just outside San Clemente’s Calafia Beach. But this year, under a cloak of mystery, the tree was taken.

“I’ve been crying all day,” a tearful Sheldrake-Stetson told The Epoch Times on Dec. 8, hours after discovering the tree missing. “Nothing really upsets me, but this left me heartbroken. I feel I’ve disappointed so many people, and it’s not even my fault.”