In what could be described as “How The Madison County Sheriff’s Deputies Saved Christmas,” that mean, nasty old Christmas-hating Grinch was arrested on Friday.

And just in the St. Nick of time before he could disrupt Saturday’s annual “Shop With A Cop.”

“Thanks to a timely tip from our awesome community, deputies successfully apprehended the Grinch before he could cause any trouble,” said the office on its Facebook page. “We were alerted that he planned to disrupt Shop with a Cop, and we weren’t about to let anyone steal the joy from our local kids.”

Deputies acted quickly to subdue and arrest The Grinch, said the office.

“We’re grateful for a community that always has our back and proud to help spread holiday cheer to the families we serve,” it said. “Happy Holidays from all of us at the Sheriff’s Office!”