It’s the holiday season which means it’s the season of giving, but if you visit Universal Orlando Resort during the holidays you can also celebrate the holiday of Grinchmas. You can find the classic Dr. Seuss character in the park chatting with guests, but one guest apparently took the concept of Grinchmas a little too far, and has been arrested after allegedly attempting to steal more than $700 worth of merchandise from a Universal Orlando shop under a Grinch blanket.
According to ClickOrlando, a man named Alexander Gill was arrested November 4 after a loss prevention officer reportedly noticed him slip a pin set into his pocket and attempt to leave a store at Universal Studios Florida. The man, who was with a woman in a wheelchair, was then approached by the LP officer, who asked for the pin set. Upon escorting the pair to the investigations office, it was reportedly discovered that underneath a Grinch blanket in the woman’s lap, there were two bags of merchandise, all of which, including the blanket, had not been paid for.
Gill has been charged with third degree grand theft for stealing 41 items worth a total of $774.74. It’s unclear if the woman he was with was charged as well as the affidavit apparently does not state. Maximum penalty under Florida law for third degree grand theft is five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Depending on the situation there’s no reason the punishment here will be so severe, but one can also expect they’ve been tresspassed from Universal Orlando Resort and will not be allowed to return. Committing crimes is one easy way to get banned from a theme park.
It’s a pretty impressive haul of both physical quantity and financial value, and the only reason they were caught is because they got seen with a single item. It seems quite likely they would have made it out had it not been for this single interaction.
Theme park merchandise can certainly get expensive but over $750 worth of stuff is a lot. The average price of the 41 stolen items is less than $20 but when you take enough it certainly adds up. Beyond a pin set and the blanket it’s unclear what else was taken.
Of course, it’s the Grinch blanket that makes the story just too perfect. While it probably wasn’t intentional that a Grinch blanket was apparently used to literally cover up a theft, it was likely just seen as something that was available. Considering the time of year it’s perfect symbolism. I mean, stealing stuff is basically the Grinch’s whole thing, right?
Of course, the other part of the Grinch’s story is that after doing all the stealing he had an emotional breakthrough and realized that he could be better. It’s the season for those sort of experiences, so maybe these folks will have learned the error of their ways not unlike the Grinch
