Arrest delivered fun to a local girl
“Gumdrop” is a funny name for a criminal, but that’s who the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) arrested on Halloween this year.
“It means a lot to me to be able to do stuff like this for the community,” GCSO Deputy Stacey Weaver said.
Local 9-year-old girl Angel Eaton, Gumdrop’s friend, was very sick early in life. Sometimes, her parents Contessa and Dale Eaton weren’t sure if she would make it to the next Christmas.
They chose to make every holiday special and often started them early.
“They started celebrating Christmas right when Halloween ended,” Weaver said.
Angel Eaton got Gumdrop, an Elf on the Shelf, a few Halloweens ago. Often, her parents would set up Christmas trees on Halloween in her hospital room.
But this year, there was a problem. Gumdrop had disappeared.
“When Gumdrop didn’t show up on Halloween this year, she began asking where Gumdrop was,” Weaver said.
It turns out the elf had been misbehaving.
Weaver had discovered from Angel Eaton’s parents that the elf had been planning a “disruption of public school.”
The elf wanted to get Angel Eaton out of school so they could “cause some mischief,” Weaver said.
In response, she arrested the offending sprite. She even had a special pair of pink handcuffs ready for the occasion.
“I don’t think they’ll fit on anybody else,” Weaver said.
Gumdrop spent about a month at the police station and was released Tuesday, Nov. 25.
“I also got [Angel Eaton] some stuff for Christmas,” Weaver said.
The gifts included candy, stuffed animals and toys.
Deputy Weaver and four other deputies brought the elf back to the Eaton house.
“Angel was all smiles. Gumdrop pretended to be remorseful. And the deputies proved once again that they can handle anything — even holiday hooligans under a foot tall,” a GCSO press release announced.
Gumdrop received a stern warning and no jail time.
What else could an elfin criminal expect?