Grove Plaza Christmas Tree Topper Returned

And the thief's heart grew three sizes on Thursday. 

The story of one of Downtown Boise's most bizarre thefts ever got its storybook ending on Thursday afternoon.  The suspect, nicknamed "the Grinch" by multiple Treasure Valley news outlets, confessed that they stole the tree topper from the Christmas tree on the Grove Plaza. They admitted their guilt in an e-mail to the people responsible for the star, the Downtown Boise Association.

The association asked the Grinch to leave the star for Boise Police Officers to pick up. Upon it's recovery, BPD found a $100 bill taped to the tree topper.  The 5-foot star, valued at $500, was damaged during the incident, but according to the Downtown Boise Association they're not using the $100 toward the repairs.  Since the tree is scheduled to come down in a few days, putting the star back up isn't a huge priority.  The association will instead donate the $100 to the WCA, which benefits from the "giving tree" tags hung around the tree each year.

According to KTVB, the Grinch could face criminal charges and the investigation will be handled by the Ada County Prosecutor's office.

The Downtown Boise Association isn't holding the crime against the Grinch, stating in a Facebook post "Since the Downtown Christmas Tree is a symbol of peace and goodwill, if the person who took the star found that spirit in giving the ornament back, we feel the best outcome is for all of us to share that spirit and be grateful."