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COLLIER COUNTY, Florida — A Florida family solved the mystery of a holiday heist thanks to security camera video. The culprit is not who — or what — you might think.
Shanick Suarez put up holiday decorations in November, but her inflatable Grinch vanished from the porch on Black Friday.
"We were just dumbfounded. We were like, where did it go?" Suarez told WBBH.
After searching her yard and checking security cameras, Suarez thought a prankster or a wandering dog might have been to blame. Days later, a neighbor spotted the Grinch two houses down.
Suarez retrieved it, plugged it back in, and thought the mystery was solved.
Then security cameras sent Suarez another alert. She couldn't believe her eyes when she checked the footage — it was a bear!
"I never expected it to be a bear!" Suarez said.
The furry thief was caught on camera clawing at the inflatable Grinch, unplugging it and dragging it into the woods. Unfortunately, the Grinch didn't survive and Suarez had to toss it in the trash.
"We thought it was the craziest thing," she said.
While the Grinch won't be stealing Christmas this year, it seems the bear managed to swipe the spotlight instead.
"It's a funny story to tell," Suarez said.