Virginia man allegedly attempted to brazenly shoplift from Walmart during holiday ‘Shop with a Cop’ event

If only this real-life Grinch’s brain could grow three sizes.

A Virginia man was arrested after allegedly trying to steal more than $1,000 worth of items from a Walmart — right in front of dozens of cops who were at the store for a holiday event.

A Chesterfield County Walmart was hosting its annual “Shop with a Cop” event where local police partnered with impoverished children to help them pick out gifts for the holidays on Sunday when the would-be bandit struck.

Nearly 50 police officers and sheriff’s deputies were all around the store at the time of the attempted theft, Chesterfield County Police Lt. James Lamb told CBS 6.

But the overwhelming presence of law enforcement didn’t deter 32-year-old Hector Velazquez Maldonado from trying to make off with nearly $1,400 of merchandise, according to police.

Security footage showed Maldonado trying to hide bulks of items on his person as he attempted to leave the store, according to police.

The officers were notified of a shoplifting in process at the very store they were all stationed at and began scouring the floor for the suspect who they quickly found.

“As we approached from different directions, he tried to escape out the back of the store where he was apprehended. I think he was stunned,” Lamb told CBS6.

Officers were dumbfounded that Maldonado had tried to commit the crime even with the clear police presence all around the area.

“We had 30-40 marked patrol cars in the parking lot. When we found his vehicle, it was facing where our cars were parked, so he would have had to see them. It seems it just didn’t matter to him,” Lamb told the station.

Maldonado is a repeat shoplifting offender and had an active warrant out for his arrest for a failure to appear in court along with several open larceny cases in Chesterfield County, officials said.

On top of his open cases, he is now facing a felony charge of grand larceny for his squandered holiday heist, CBS6 reported.