SAUGATUCK, Mich. (WWJ) – It’s a Christmas cookie caper in west Michigan.
Saugatuck-Douglas police are looking for three grinches who stole 100 Christmas cookies during a holiday tour.
According Blue Star Motel manager Rusty Ross, who baked the cookies, the culprits were three women who entered the lobby with tickets to the first annual “Christmas Cookie Tour of Inns” event on Saturday.
Felicia Fairchild, with the Saugatuck-Douglas Convention & Visitors Burea — which sponsored the event — believes the women intentionally tried to distract the innkeeper.
“The one woman asked him if she could see one of his rooms. He took her back to see the room; and when he came back, the other two had taken all the cookies,” Fairchild told WWJ Newsradio 950.
The spritz cookies — shortbread with a hint of almond flavor — were an entry in a baking contest, leading police and the victim to suspect the crime was the work of rival who was losing in an online vote.
“There is a lot of stiff competition out there to win the coveted ‘Best Cookie Award’…Rusty’s cookies were very popular and gaining momentum with the cookie crowd.” She continued, “It is entirely possible that these ladies were deliberately trying to sabotage Rusty’s chance at winning the title.. either that or they were just too lazy to bake their own Christmas cookies.”
The cookies were worth about $20.
“We were devastated! We had no cookies left for the remaining tour participants who were entitled to one cookie per ticket holder,” said Ross. “All we had left were little bags of Chex-Mix!”
Fairchild said she felt a bit odd reporting the crime.
“Well, you have to understand that our theme here in town was ‘Whoville’ — so, I was dressed as Cindy Lou Who (from the Dr. Seuss story “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”) with a big Cindy Lou Who wig,” she said.
“I saw a policeman go by, he was giving someone a ticket; and I waited until he was finished,” said Fairchild, “and I went up and I said, ‘Officer, I’d like to report a cookie larceny.'”
The suspects were described only as “good-looking” and “well dressed.”
Fairchild said anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of the cookie kleptos will be eligible to join the bureau’s e-news list and have their name entered into a drawing for a free weekend getaway in Saugatuck.
