Santa Clara police have arrested a pair of real-life Grinches: a boyfriend-girlfriend duo who allegedly poached thousands of Christmas presents from local residents.

The duo, Justin Rucker, 35, and Alicia Lewis, 40, are both San Jose residents.

The investigation began a few weeks ago when the Santa Clara Police Department (SCPD) began looking into reports of a boyfriend and girlfriend using credit cards stolen from Santa Clara residents to purchase items from San Jose businesses.

Once detectives identified the couple, they worked to determine where they lived and what sort of vehicle they drove, according to a SCPD social media post.

On Dec. 22, 2025, detectives located Lewis, arresting her on a warrant without incident. However, Rucker was not with her. 

The next morning, on Dec. 23, 2025, using license plate reader cameras, detectives spotted Rucker driving a white Chevrolet Spark, a vehicle linked to him, Lt. Eric Lagergren, the SCPD’s public information officer, wrote in an email.

Police began surveillance in Santa Clara, observing Rucker entering multiple neighborhoods on the city’s north side. 

Given his history and behavior, detectives believed Rucker might attempt to flee if confronted, so they waited for the safest opportunity to arrest him.

When the opportunity arose, detectives went to arrest Rucker. A brief foot chase ensued, and police took him into custody without further incident.

Rucker and Lewis were on probation, and both had warrants. Police arrested both suspects near the intersection of Alvin Avenue and Tully Road in San Jose, Lagergren wrote.

A search of Rucker’s car uncovered a mountain of stolen mail and packages taken from the neighborhoods he had visited. 

Police handed over thousands of unopened packages to the United States Postal Service. However, detectives also returned stolen packages to local residents who said the packages were Christmas presents.

In addition to the warrant, Rucker faces a slew of charges: acquire/possess personal information with intent to defraud, forgery, receiving stolen property, mail theft, obstructing/resisting a police officer and possession of burglary tools. Lewis faces no additional charges.

Lagergren wrote that police do not anticipate any additional arrests in connection to the crime.

To combat mail theft, police remind the public to:

• Pick up the mail ASAP.
• If heading out of town, request that your local post office hold your mail until you return.
• Contact the sender if you do not receive the valuable mail you are expecting.
• Immediately report suspicious activity to police.

Contact David Alexander at d.todd.alexander@gmail.com

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