Cops: Burglar Stole Presents, Regifted Them

The ultimate in regifting: Cops near Chicago say a man broke into two homes, swiped wrapped presents, then rewrapped them to give to his own friends and family, reports the Chicago Tribune. The 42-year-old suspect even installed a stolen ceiling fan in his bedroom, police say. His undoing was that he also took credit cards, then used them to buy merchandise he later returned for cash. Store video captured him doing so.

"This is the first time in my 27 years in law enforcement that I have come across a case in which a burglary suspect had stolen property from a home repackaged, re-wrapped with the intent to deliver them as new Christmas gifts to family and friends," says a local police chief. (More Christmas gifts stories.)