Canadian police have arrested a 24-year-old "grinch" for the worst holiday crime of all: telling children Santa Claus doesn’t exist.

As Kingston, Ontario, held its annual Santa Claus parade on Saturday night, the man, who police say was heavily intoxicated, began shouting at children, parents and nearby floats passing down the street that Santa Claus was nothing more than an elaborate parental hoax.

“Arrested an intoxicated Grinch for trying to yell at kids that Santa's not real! So misinformed. His heart must be many sizes too small!” the Kingston police wrote on their official Twitter account.

Shocked parents promptly called the police on the offender, whose identity has not yet been released by local police. Around 6 p.m. local time, police showed up to arrest the man, according to The Star.

According to Kingston Constable Steve Koopman, the "grinch" had gelled hair that “looked like a set of devil horns protruding from his head.”

“It was pretty despicable that someone, during this time of the year, would tell kids Santa isn’t real — which of course we would argue,” Koopman said.

Kingston police say the man spent Saturday night in a jail cell to sober up. In the morning, he was released on bail under the condition that he avoid alcohol until his trial.

The Christmas grinch is being charged with causing a disturbance by being drunk and with breach of probation. Kingston police refused to say what prior offense earned him probation, possibly to keep his identity anonymous.

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