It’s a page straight out of Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”

A man broke into a home in the Covington area and took presents right from under the family’s Christmas tree.

The story reads almost word for word out of the famous children’s book. While the mom and dad were out working and earning money to pay for their Christmas bills, a burglar, who was not green in color in this tale and for the record was also not named Grinch, broke into the home located off Louisiana Highway 1084.

In an attempt to tarnish the family’s holiday or possibly make a buck of reselling the items, the burglary stole several gifts out from under the family’s tree.

George Bonnett, spokesman for the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, said the homeowners discovered the break-in Monday evening when they returned home from work

Detectives are still determining the value of the stolen property.

While investigating this break-in, detectives were notified that a man matching the same description also attempted to burglarize other homes in the area the same day.

A man attempted to enter two houses in the River Glen subdivision.

Bonnett said at one of the houses, the man left when a resident answered the door, and at another the resident did not answer the door for the unfamiliar man.

After unsuccessfully trying to open doors to that house, the burglar left the area.

A homeowner on Louisiana Highway 36, also near Covington confronted a man who broke a window to his home and began to enter the residence. Bonnett said in this case, the man fled after the homeowner pointed a gun at him.

Descriptions of the man from several of the incidents are consistent but incomplete. He is described only as a black male wearing a gray T-shirt. He was seen leaving in not a sleigh in this case but in a light-colored (silver or white) colored Chrysler car.

Anyone with information about these incidents is urged to call Detective Jerry Coyne at 276-1329, and as always Bonnett urges everyone to lock their doors when they are home and away.