Baytown Police Arrest "Grinch" Who Almost Stole Christmas

BAYTOWN, TX — He was dubbed "the Grinch who almost stole Christmas," and now he's in jail. Police arrested 22-year-old Christian Cortina on Dec. 11, and charged him with theft, which is a Class B Misdemeanor, after witnesses saw him snatch five bicycles from a Baytown Police Blue Santa toy donation site.

On Thursday, Dec. 6, police were called to O’Neal’s Sports Bar and Grill, located at 2651 S. SH Business 146, for a report of several stolen bicycles. grabbed five bicycles that were supposed to be given to needy children through the Baytown Police Blue Santa Program.

Witnesses said they saw a Hispanic man take the bicycles from the Baytown Police Blue Santa toy donation drop off site inside the sports bar, carry them to a gray pickup truck, put them in the back, and drive off.

In the day's after the theft, Baytown Police began labeling the incident as one done by a "Grinch."

On Tuesday Dec, 11, detectives got a break when someone who’d seen the pickup in media reports, saw the pickup in Baytown and called police. Detectives located Cortina and he was arrested and charged Class B Theft through the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

"With the help of our media partners as well as members of our community not only were we able to identify the suspect in this case but we were also able to recover two of the stolen bicycles, which can now be given to deserving children in our community," Baytown Detective Lt. Steve Dorris said in a statement.

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Image: Baytown Police

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