MURRIETA, Calif — For 14 years, Santa and his helpers sprinkled Christmas goodwill and holiday magic in Murrieta neighborhoods with nary a “bah humbug” or a Grinchy sneer — until Wednesday.
Two teenage volunteers dressed as Rudolph and Frosty said they were roughed up while dancing and singing for an audience of 300. Their names were not released. Rudolph suffered an injured back and neck, while Frosty has a sprained wrist.
Murrieta police are asking for the public’s help in what is dubbed the “Rudolph Caper.”
“The city is very sympathetic to the family,” said Debbie Tharp, city community services director. “The kids were volunteering their time to try to make everyone happy. They were trying to bring the Christmas joy out of everyone, and for some reason, some kids got out of hand.”
The Santa Runs started 14 years ago as a way for the city to spread holiday cheer to the town. As the city boomed in population, so have the Santa Runs.
Each year, fire trucks, police cars, trailers and trucks head out to specially marked spots throughout town. For seven nights, choir singers, dancing Rudolph, Frosty, and Santa Claus visit those spots to pass out candy canes, sing Christmas carols, accept donated goods and allow children to take pictures with Santa.
This year’s run had 226 stops and on Wednesday night, the events were ending when, about 7:30 p.m., the caravan of Christmas cheer headed to the Mapleton housing tract at Mapleton Road and Nandina Lane.
During the stops, costumed characters usually run along the edge of the crowd to encourage singing and excitement.
Murrieta police Sgt. Jim Ganley, who was dressed as Santa, said the two teenage girls dressed as Rudolph and Frosty were working the crowd when a teenage boy began to taunt Rudolph, demanding, “Who’s in there? A boy or a girl?”
Then, the holiday characters allege, the teen picked Rudolph up and dropped her. Frosty tried to intervene, but was grabbed from behind and fell to the ground.
Ganley, who was surrounded by children at the time, said he did not witness the assault, but a witness on Santa’s sleigh said the person who went after Rudolph appeared to be about 15 years old.
“Frosty never saw who grabbed her,” Ganley said. “They came back to the sleigh and Rudolph was crying.”
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