SEA GRIT, N.J. — A New Jersey town’s search for the vandal who damaged a popular Christmas lights display came to an end Saturday when officials discovered the Grinch was actually a medium-sized rodent.

Officials in Sea Girt quickly repaired severed wires in time for the town’s annual tree lighting on Friday, WNBC-TV reported.

The following morning, the Sea Girt Police Department posted to Facebook saying it had caught the vandal in the act, showing photos of a squirrel climbing on the display and trying to take a bite out of the wires before running away.

“The Sea Girt Police Department is proud to report that the case of our broken holiday lights has been solved,” the department said. “We are happy that no human acted as a grinch in this incident. The squirrel was ‘charged’ with criminal mischief and released on bail.”