The updated figures show 220 gifts intended for about 42 families were taken from the WJBC Brotherhood Tree on Saturday.  (photo by B. Corbin/WJBC)

By Zach Dietmeier

BLOOMINGTON - The number of WJBC Brotherhood Tree families who didn't receive their gifts because of a Christmas thief has grown. 

Brotherhood Tree Coordinator Janae McGrew says Bloomington Police are still searching for the suspect who may have taken gifts during Saturday's annual dropoff. 

"We discovered that the volunteer in question didn't just make one trip out to deliver but made three trips," said McGrew.  "As we found the other delivery sheets from the families that she had taken, we started calling and found out that none of them had received their gifts." 

Updated figures show 42 families did not receive roughly 220 gifts.  McGrew said the Brotherhood Tree was very fortunate to barely replace all the gifts.

"We were able to dip into the extra gifts and were just barely able to take care of all the kids from the families that had not received any gifts," said McGrew.

Bloomington police are closing in on a suspect.  Donations that came in after the deadline allowed the Brotherhood Tree to supply gifts to the families in need, but McGrew added that no more gifts are needed at this time.

Zach Dietmeier can be reached at zach.dietmeier@cumulus.com.