WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) A Waterbury Catholic school official says a thief stole nearly a dozen Christmas trees intended for a school fundraiser over the weekend.

Bart Cammarasana, co-president of Saints Peter and Paul School's Home and School Association, tells The Republican-American he received a call around 4 a.m. Saturday from a parent who says they saw a red SUV pull out of the school's parking lot with a tree hanging out the car's rear.

Cammarasana says he immediately headed to the lot and found that eight of the largest trees had been stolen.

He says a school neighbor called him around 12:30 a.m. Monday to say the SUV had returned. Three more trees were missing.

The thefts, which have been reported to police, will cost the school several hundred dollars.