LAKELAND, Fla. — Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd says he needs the community's help to find a grinch with "eggnog for brains" who stole children's Christmas presents from right under their tree.
"He's a grinch," Judd said Tuesday morning.
"Now, obviously this guy's got eggnog for brains because we have video of him breaking into this house," he added.
He says the burglary happened around 7:30 p.m. Monday at a home in the area of Longfellow Boulevard in east Lakeland. The single mother had left the home minutes before 28-year-old Raheim Jamaar Johnson showed up, according to the sheriff's office.
Judd says video shows Johnson walking in and out of the home taking things from the house. Among the items stolen was a work laptop, a 36-inch TV and the Christmas presents meant for two girls, ages 8 and 11.
Thankfully, the girls will still have a Merry Christmas, because Polk Sheriff Charities will work with their mom and Santa Claus to get new presents.
According to Judd, crimes like this "make me so angry, I could eat the pine needles off a Christmas tree."
And, he's hoping for Christmas he'll have this Grinch in the Polk County Jail.
"This is called, 'the Grinch from Christmas 2021 with eggnog brain,' and we want him in jail...I want him to wake up in the county jail on Christmas. Give me that for my Christmas present, please?" Judd said.
Judd says Johnson stole about $1,600 worth of items from the home.
There is now a warrant out for his arrest, the sheriff's office reports.
As an extra incentive to find him, anyone with information leading to Johnson's arrest could receive a little extra Christmas cash after calling Highlands Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-8477.
You can watch Judd's full press conference here: