By Brendan Rees
In a “blatant” day-light theft, a real life Grinch has swiped a life-size reindeer decoration from a Christmas display in front of dozens of shoppers.
Karen, who asked for her surname not to be published, said she saw a man “jump out of the display with a reindeer in his hand” on the roof-top level of Cranbourne Park Shopping Centre on Monday 10 December, about 11.30am.
“I yelled out ‘stop him.’ Everyone looked around and he gave me a funny look, and ran out the door into a black car,” she said.
“He had it under his arm and hot-footed it out.”
Karen said she couldn’t believe the incident unfold before her eyes just as she had reached the top of the escalator above Kmart to go to her car.
“I scurried as quickly as I could with my phone out, getting the camera up to try and get a shot of the car.
Karen says she was about 30 metres away from the man, who acted alone when he took off with the reindeer.
She said the man, described in his mid-twenties to mid-thirties, dressed in dark “scruffy clothes,” medium build and about five foot, five inches, brown hair, ran to his car on the roof top.
“He put it (the reindeer) in the back seat,” Karen said.
She said she saw another person in the front seat which she believes was “a woman because I saw long hair”.
She said just as she was “ready to take his picture,” the man “stuck his finger up and speed off”.
“(It was a) small black sedan; there was a rego but I couldn’t get closer enough for a photo,” Karen said.
“He turned and presumed he gave me a dirty look because I yelled.”
She described the reindeer as a “little white one without the horns, so a baby one”.
“I’ve never seen such a blatant theft in my whole life.”
It’s believed the incident was captured on CCTV footage; however management at the centre have decided not to release any images.
In a statement, centre manager of Vicinity Centres Andrew Gibson said: “As the matter is subject of an investigation we are not able to comment any further at this stage”.
“We’re disappointed, however we are looking forward to a great Christmas at Cranbourne Park,” he said.
