AUBURN – A $150 check could have made it a merry Christmas for Lionel Whitehouse’s family.

“All we want is the person that took it to realize, they took our Christmas,” Whitehouse said. “Just know what they did was not nice, and I want them to realize what they’ve taken away from my children.”

The check, a child support payment paid to the family for Whitehouse’ stepson Brent, was stolen from the family’s mailbox last week – probably on Thursday, according to Christina Whitehouse, his wife.

“We get the checks regular as clockwork,” Christina said. “It was sent out on Monday and should have arrived on Thursday.”

The check is paid through the state’s Child Support Division of Enforcement and Recovery, and she began calling them right away.

She doesn’t expect to hear from them for at least another month, however.

“It happened before, in August,” she said. “I’m still waiting to get reimbursed for that.”

A neighbor claimed to have a Social Security check taken from her mailbox, so Whitehouse said she thinks something is up.

“We’re not a rich family,” she said. “That $150 may not make a big difference for a lot of people, but it means a lot when every other penny is accounted for. We have rent, we have our phone and we have food.”

This money was set aside for Christmas, she said.

“We just want the people that took it to know, something so simple could ruin someone’s Christmas,” she said.

Auburn police Capt. Kevin Mulherin said the city usually sees mailbox thefts increase this time of year.

“You get people looking for Christmas cards with money in them, and all that,” Mulherin said. There haven’t been many reports this year, however.

“But it’s a good idea to remind people to be careful, and keep an eye on their mailbox,” he said.

Police have gotten more complaints of unlocked car break-ins.

“A locked door stops them, most of the time,” he said. “Mostly, they’re getting away with pocket change or whatever suits them. But sometimes people leave presents in the car so their spouses or wives can’t find them. That’s what they’re looking for.”