Houston PD Looking For 'The Grinch' Stealing Christmas (Video)

HOUSTON, TX — With all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile and as charming as an eel, one notorious burglar this Christmas season has Houston PD on the lookout. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, in partnership with retailers throughout the Houston area, has released surveillance video of a wanted suspect dubbed "The Grinch."

The suspect is described only as a green-faced individual wearing a Santa hat, Santa shirt and green tights. He has been described as having furry hands and feet. Surveillance video of the Grinch can be viewed on the HPD YouTube channel — video is below.

"This is actually a very serious matter," Acevedo said Monday at a press conference. "Every holiday season it seems that criminals are lurking through our shopping centers and our markets and all these parking lots looking for easy prey."

The police chief said shoppers can be rather naive during the holiday season, even doing something as nonchalant as putting a gift on the seat of the car and draping a towel, coat or blanket over it as disguise.

The Grinch gallantly tiptoes around parking lots and checks door handles on cars. The video shows him even going into a car at a gas station while the driver was gassing up on the other side — unbeknown to the car owner. HPD showed the video to the group of reporters twice.

"I hope this doesn't give other people to go around dressed like the Grinch and burglarize people, but if you do we're going to catch you," he said. "

The Grinch has been spotted at retailers throughout the Houston area committing burglaries of motor vehicles, thefts at gas stations and other holiday-spirit stealing acts of crime.

OK, the video was actually a dramatization derived from within the police department, but Acevedo said predators and burglars become particularly vile ones during the Christmas season. He urges citizens to lock their doors, don't keep their belongings in sight and, if at all costs, keep them away with a 39 1/2-foot pole.

HPD warns prevention and avoidance is the key to not falling victim to the Grinch. Citizens are urged to heed to following safe shopping tips: This suspect was first identified by a retailer’s group in Houston called the GHLPA, or the Greater Houston Loss Prevention Alliance.

The GHLPA is comprised of loss prevention representatives with Kroger, H-E-B, Fiesta, Target, Randalls, Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Macy’s, Sam's, Weingarten and Dollar General. During the holiday season, stores have reported an increase in the number of thefts reported by their customers.

Photo via Houston Police Department