‘Grinch’ arrested after breaking into cell phone store on Christmas, SLO County police say
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A Palmdale man was deemed a “grinch” by the Grover Beach Police Department after he allegedly burglarized a cell phone store on Christmas.
Maurice Hampton, 34, was arrested Monday on suspicion of charges of burglary and vandalism after officers found him in the area of a burglarized cell phone store Monday evening, the department said in a Facebook post Tuesday.
“One grinch is in custody after burglarizing a business in the 1500 block of W. Grand Avenue,” the post read.
According to police, officers were dispatched to an alarm at a cell phone business around 7 p.m. The business appeared to be burglarized, police said, with broken glass found at the scene.
Officers saw a “suspicious person” on city camera footage and began to look for the suspect in the area, according to the post.
They found Hampton — who matched the suspect’s description from the video surveillance — on the 700 block of Ramona Avenue, according to the post.
Hampton had cuts on his face and blood on his hands, police said. Electronics similar to what was sold in the burglarized store were also found in his possession, the department said.
The store later confirmed the items were stolen property, police said.
Hampton provided a fake name to officers and was in possession of a substance that appeared to be fentanyl and drug paraphernalia, according to the post.
He was booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail on suspicion of charges of burglary, vandalism, providing a false name to an officer, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance.
According to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office custody database, Hampton was no longer in custody as of Tuesday.
This story was originally published December 26, 2023 at 12:33 PM.
