We’re all familiar with the Grinch, the grumpy, cave-dwelling creature who lives high in Mount Crumpit with his dog, just north of the little town of Whoville. He gets so annoyed by the happiness of the Whos that he decides to go out and steal Christmas from them.
Well, as it turns out, attempting to steal Christmas is just the beginning. Let’s take a look at a few of the crimes the Grinch commits during the holidays.
1. Conspiracy
One of the very first crimes the Grinch commits is the crime of conspiracy. He plots with his dog, Max, to dress up as Santa, sneak into the homes of Whoville, and steal Christmas from them. While one could argue that Max never technically agreed to those plans, they did start moving through with them.
2. Domestic terrorism
The Grinch’s main goal in stealing Christmas was to keep the holidays from coming to Whoville in the first place. He intended to coerce and intimidate residents and spread trauma throughout the town. That fits the description of domestic terrorism as described in the Patriot Act to a T.
3. Identity theft
Before leaving his cave on Mount Crumpit, the Grinch dons a Santa suit and puts antlers on Max. Textbook identity theft.
4. Animal cruelty
Again, it’s not clear whether or not Max agrees to everything the Grinch plans to do. Regardless, the Grinch slaps antlers on the dog and forces him to pull a sleigh that’s clearly much too large for one small creature to carry. He also carries a whip to provide Max with some “encouragement.” These acts constitute animal abuse.
5. Assault
In the live-action version of the movie, the Grinch attacks the town’s mayor and shaves his head. Actions like this could get him slapped with an assault and battery charge.
6. Breaking and entering
When the Grinch arrives in town, he begins entering residents’ homes through house chimneys. This could count as breaking and entering, especially because the Grinch went in with the intention of committing crimes. He also entered homes without residents’ permission, and that certainly isn’t a good look.
7. Burglary
We know the Grinch broke into Whoville residents’ homes. Once inside, he had the intention of stealing every Christmas-related thing he could get his hands on (which we’ll cover in the next crime). It looks like he meets the requirements for burglary — as well as trespassing (which is often included with burglary charges).
8. Larceny
After breaking into each house, the Grinch makes off with trees, decorations, and gifts. He does this all without consent, which might land him a larceny charge. Depending on the total value of everything he took, he might face grand larceny.
Potential crimes: While it’s not shown in the books or the movies, the Grinch may have also committed property damage as he sledded recklessly down the mountainside and into town. He may have also been driving the sleigh without a license.
