A thief can expect a lump of coal in her support hose next month after swiping a Christmas tree — decorations and all — from a Butler flower store last week.

The suspect is a woman, possibly 65 or so, said city police.

The aging Grinch targeted Smith’s Flower Shop on North Main Street about 4 p.m. Thursday while there were no costumers inside.

An employee told police that he waited on the woman, who described as 5 feet, 5 inches tall and 200 pounds, with short brown hair and wearing black square-rimmed glasses.

The suspect pretended to be a shopper and apparently as part of her ruse picked out an item to buy. The employee left momentarily to get a gift box from a room in back.

When he returned, the woman was gone — as was a 4-foot, fiber optic Christmas tree, police said.

The tree, valued at $350, was trimmed with gold ornaments.

Police were called and followed a trail of ornaments from the store, out the door and onto the street. But the shoplifter was gone.

Witnesses were unable to help much. Police also checked nearby businesses for possibly surveillance video but found none to aid their investigation.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call police at 724-287-7743.