Cops dressed as Santa and elf arrest suspected shoplifters, car thieves in undercover bust

Jake Dima, DCNF

A pair of undercover police officers dressed as Santa Claus and an elf made multiple arrests at a retail giant in California on Saturday, police said.

The operation, dubbed “holiday enforcement,” led to numerous apprehensions, including a woman hauling stolen merchandise, a homeless man who is said to be a serial thief and a 55-year-old who purportedly stole around $1,000 in Lego products, according to Fox 11. The Christmas-clad authorities also spotted three men suspected of stealing a Honda CR-V in the parking lot, the local outlet reported.

Video shows the officer dressed as an elf holding a man at gunpoint, while the officer dressed in full St. Nick attire tackles a suspect, according to footage posted to YouTube by the Riverside Police Department.

A bystander yells “Get him, Santa!” as the officer tackles the man to the ground.

WATCH:

The suspect was arrested and charged with possession of illegal drugs and resisting, according to Fox 11.

The man who was held at gunpoint by the elf officer was later released, the local outlet reported. Law enforcement is still seeking the man seen speeding off in the CR-V, which was found abandoned, the local outlet reported.

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