FROSTBURG — It was a quiet Thursday afternoon at State Farm agent Denny Delaney’s office on Main Street in Frostburg.
He sat alone in the building on a call with a client.
Things got interesting for Delaney when a group of kids walked in and grabbed his beloved “Jake from State Farm” cardboard cutout, a staple of the company’s recent advertising campaigns.
“I turned my head, and when I looked back, they were halfway out the door with Jake,” Delaney said.
According to Delaney, three kids originally walked in asked him about doing yard work outside the building.
“They said, ‘Can we pick those (sticks) up and make a few bucks?’” Delaney said.
A fourth kid came through the front door, grabbed Jake, and the group ran west down Main Street, Delaney said.
Delaney, who admitted he “wasn’t 30 years old anymore,” tried to chase after them, but they got away.
“I went out, I started running and I pulled a hamstring,” he said, laughing.
According to Delaney, the cutout cost him $160 and was a lively part of the office.
“Even people who don’t have State Farm know who Jake is,” he said.
Delaney told police that the children were of middle school age and no more than 5 feet, 8 inches tall. They all had brown hair, each wearing a sweatshirt.
Frostburg City Police said Monday that they are investigating the incident.
“Police were not able to locate them in the area,” Chief Nicholas Costello said.
Anyone with information was asked to call police at 301-689-3000.
Delaney has also turned to social media to ask a few “good neighbors” to be on the lookout for Jake.
“Jake has welcomed new employees, celebrated birthdays and new businesses, and even participated in the occasional office shenanigan,” Delaney said in a Facebook post on Friday.
Delaney plans on pressing charges when it is all said and done.
“Have them do maybe 20 hours of community service,” he said. “Someone has that darn thing.”
While his office did not have a surveillance camera to capture the incident, Delaney said that one will be installed soon.
“We’re gonna get one now,” he said.