Beware this merry mischief maker! 'Tis the season for Elf on the Shelf hijinks — and this year, one police department in Massachusetts is getting in on the fun.
On Sunday, Dec. 6, the Bourne PD alerted the public to a "wanted person" in their midst: a rosy-cheeked, blue-eyed little spy working on behalf of the big man himself, Santa Claus. Police urge caution if you encounter said Elf, who's been known to hide in people's homes around the holidays.
"Wanted in a 'string' of gingerbread house invasions," the Bourne PD captioned a couple of fake mugshots on its Facebook page. "Known to spread Christmas Cheer and a specialist in covert surveillance. Often seen hiding in high places. Do not approach and especially DO NOT touch as this is known to cause loss of magical abilities to report back to his jolly kingpin!"
Commenters happily played along with the joke, reporting Elf on the Shelf sightings around the community and making note of his little smirk. "He looks very guilty," one quipped.
Lt. Brandon Esip, who runs the Bourne Police Department's Facebook page, told ABC News that he and his colleagues would continue to pursue the Christmas-loving vigilante through Dec. 25.
"Our plan with this [is] to have a few posts between now and Christmas of our attempts to apprehend him," Esip explained. "We have some additional plans for our pursuit of Mr. Elf."
