Well, this isn't something you see everyday. Santa and his Elf were hard at work at the Canyon Springs Target, but they weren't shopping for kids, they were undercover making busts of people leaving the store without paying. That's when one gentleman got to feel the full wrath of Santa Claus as he was tackled to the ground!
According to the Riverside Police Department, here's how it all went down:
Toward the conclusion of the operation, detectives received information about three suspicious men casing vehicles in the shopping center parking lots. One of the undercover detectives spotted these three men as they were in the act of stealing an older white Honda CR-V. Two of the men saw the detective and ran off but were quickly apprehended by the other officers. One suspect resisted arrest but was taken into custody with the help of our undercover Santa, and the second was detained by the undercover elf. The third suspect who actually stole the Honda was able to flee before he could be stopped by officers. The stolen Honda was found abandoned nearby and suspect driver was not located, but detectives have him identified and will be making an arrest for car theft in the future.
Of the two suspects detained, one was identified and later released. The other was arrested for possession of illegal drugs and resisting arrest.
“Changes in property crime laws within the recent years have contributed to increases in retail theft and shoplifting,” stated Detective Everth Bercian of the Property Crimes Unit. “Theft of merchandise totaling less than $950 is only a misdemeanor, and any arrest made whether it’s a felony or misdemeanor, results in little to no consequences for these crimes.”