MEDINA, Ohio (WJW) – Medina police are investigating a series of crimes committed by a group of vandals targeting holiday lawn ornaments and displays.

But in a late breaking development in the case, five suspects have taken the first step in accepting responsibility for their actions and making amends. 

A surveillance camera captured video of one of the men walking up to a house, yanking out a snowman and dragging it across the yard. The video shows him then crossing the street to meet up with four other men.

Police say it was just one in a number of acts of vandalism they would commit during the early morning hours of Thanksgiving.

“That’s just Grinch-like, it’s not appropriate at this time of year. We expect people to behave and treat others the way they would like to be treated,” Lt. Bryan Wagner told FOX 8.

Outside the Medina Centre for Dance Art, the suspects smashed a large nutcracker.

The owner of the dance studio got the bad news on Thanksgiving morning and says she had been warned by her family and employees not to leave the nutcrackers outside.

“They said, ‘oh God, I hope they don’t get broken or stolen,’ and I was like ‘it’s going to be fine, I have faith in the world, it’s going to be okay,’ and then I got the phone call and I was like ‘oh God.’ I was super disappointed and kind of angry and a little frustrated,” said Kelly Parks.

Investigators say the vandals were spotted walking through at least three neighborhoods in Medina and caused damage wherever they went.

In addition to lawn ornaments they stole or damaged, the suspects threw pumpkins and placed traffic cones on top of cars.

However, hours later on Thanksgiving Day, something incredible happened. Five men showed up at the home of the owner of the dance studio, admitted they broke the nutcracker, apologized and paid $550 in cash to replace the nutcracker.

Parks was pleasantly surprised.

“You know, we’re always trying to teach kids this, and that when they make mistakes, it’s not forever. If they own up to those things and those shortcomings and we move forward from them, so it was so nice to see that it led to an example from grown men,” she said.

The men told Parks that they were friends from college and had too much to drink the night before.

Parks says she was moved by their act of contrition and is hoping the Thanksgiving vandals will completely redeem themselves by apologizing to everyone they victimized and making amends to each of them. 

Medina police are encouraging the suspects to come forward and meet with detectives. However, if they do not, investigators are asking the public to help identify them.