Santa and 40 Elves wanted for stealing $3,000 in groceries and giving them to the needy

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Montreal police are looking into a strange robbery that happened over the holidays. A group disguised as Santa Claus and elves reportedly stole $3,000 worth of groceries and distributed them to people who couldn’t afford them.

On the night of December 15th, something like a modern-day Robin Hood act happened at a Metro grocery store and quickly spread across social media.

A group calling themselves ‘Robins of the Alleys’ has taken responsibility for an incident where people dressed as Santa Claus and around 40 masked individuals in elf costumes entered a store and stole thousands of dollars worth of food, according to a statement they posted online.

The group stated they took the groceries to give them to Montrealers in need. Some of the items were left in a public square in the Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve area, placed at the base of a Christmas tree with a note explaining their actions – that helping the hungry is worth any effort. The remaining groceries will be distributed through local food banks.

The theft was presented as a form of political protest, and the group announced it through a separate local activist organization called Les Soulèvements du fleuve.

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A post shared by Les Soulèvements du Fleuve – The River’s Uprisings (@soulevementsdufleuve)

Police investigate Robin Hood-style theft by Santa and elves

Montreal police confirmed they are investigating a theft under $5,000 at the Metro location.

Officials are looking at security camera recordings and videos shared on social media to understand what happened. As of Thursday morning, no one had been arrested.

I’ve been seeing all these pictures and videos online of people dressed as Santas and elves loading up food from a store, and it’s got everyone talking! Some people think it was a really nice, charitable thing they did, while others are saying it might have actually been a crime. It’s a pretty wild situation and I’m curious to see how it all plays out.

Metro representative Geneviève Grégoire firmly denounced the incident, noting a nationwide increase in shoplifting.

“No matter the reason, it is unacceptable and a criminal act,” Grégoire said in a statement.

According to the Retail Council of Canada, retail crime resulted in $9.2 billion in losses across the country in 2024. In addition, Grégoire highlighted Metro’s contributions, including a $1.15 million donation and over $81 million worth of food given to food banks in 2025.

The Santa-themed grocery raid is just the latest holiday crime to grab attention online.

Earlier this month in Napa County, California, police officers disguised as Santa Claus arrested two men suspected of stealing Christmas trees and wreaths worth thousands of dollars.

During a Christmas parade in Brantford, Ontario, police were called because some people put up signs saying “Santa is fake” and tried to disrupt the celebrations.

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2025-12-19 01:19