Drunken Santa Claus Arrested While Looking for Reindeer

Tina Reinhart of Sparta Wisconsin called the police on Sunday after a man dressed in a Santa suit stumbled into her yard, hugged her children and asked them repeatedly if they knew where his reindeer were.

Police soon spotted Santa, actually, 55 year old Thomas Arnold, cruising around town in the passenger seat of a car driven by a Mr. Kevin Arnold.

Thomas Arnold was charged with the possession of an open can of beer in a vehicle and Kevin Arnold was charged with impaired driving.

Police say that the pair were returning from a Christmas party and didn’t mean any real harm. Sparta Police Chief, Mike Kass, said, He thought he was spreading good cheer and in some lights he may have been. I don't think Mr Arnold had any ill intent — I believe his level of intoxication probably impaired his judgment.

Katie Dockerty, 9 one of the children Arnold approached, said she wasn’t fooled by his Santa costume, reporting that "He smelled like alcohol. So I knew it wasn't the real Santa because Santa doesn't drink alcohol."