'Grinch' accused of stealing packages on Long Island now in custody

MALVERNE, Long Island (WABC) -- A real-life Grinch accused of stealing packages from homes in several Long Island towns is now in custody.

Police say they were very anxious to find the suspect, since it is the middle of the holiday season. They arrested 24-year-old Peter Lee Dunbar, of Queens, after a traffic stop around 1:30 a.m. Thursday in Malverne.

Dunbar was arrested in the van that investigators suspected he used, and they found some of the packages that were stolen.

Police say Dunbar had been swiping delivered packages and replacing them with bags and boxes filled with old clothes, shoes and trash. He would then drive away in a white Chevy van with New York plates.

Investigators said the incidents happened during hours where most of the victims were at work.

Police were able to recover some of the packages and return them to victims.