The holidays are supposed to be about giving, not taking.
But one woman in Florida had a different idea about what Christmas morning should look like.
And this Florida woman made one Christmas morning move that just landed her a felony.
Caught red-handed stealing kids' Christmas presents from hotel lobby
Security cameras at a St. Petersburg Red Roof Inn captured Erica Rothenbuhler, 44, entering the lobby just after midnight on Christmas morning.¹
She walked straight to the Christmas tree in the lobby and started looking underneath it.
Then she grabbed six toys meant for children and walked out.
The whole thing was over in about seven minutes.
Police say they don't know if the gifts were part of a toy drive or who they were intended for.
But they weren't meant for Rothenbuhler.
When cops tracked her down, she claimed "she thought the gifts were for the kids in the building."
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There's just one problem with that story.
Rothenbuhler doesn't have any children.
She stole $48 worth of toys for reasons nobody can figure out except her.
A misdemeanor turned felony thanks to her criminal record
Normally, stealing $48 worth of merchandise would be a straightforward misdemeanor charge.
But Rothenbuhler's past caught up with her.
She had two prior theft convictions from the summer of 2023.
One for stealing from a Winn-Dixie supermarket, another for stealing from a Wawa convenience store.
Under Florida law, that third theft conviction automatically elevates the charge to a third-degree felony.
The state's habitual offender statute removes judges' discretion when dealing with repeat offenders.
Rothenbuhler is now locked up in Pinellas County jail on $5,000 bond.
She's facing a maximum of five years in state prison if convicted.
All for six Christmas presents worth less than $50.
Stealing from kids on Christmas morning is about as low as it gets.
But Florida's tough-on-crime laws don't care about the value of what you stole when you're a repeat offender.
They care about the pattern of behavior.
This woman had two chances to straighten up after her 2023 theft convictions.
Instead, she decided to play Grinch on Christmas morning at a hotel lobby.
Now she's looking at serious prison time for what started as grabbing toys from under a tree.
Florida lawmakers designed these habitual offender laws to send a message to career criminals who keep stealing after getting caught.
For someone with two prior theft convictions in just 18 months, that third strike means mandatory enhanced penalties.
No judge can look at the dollar amount and decide to go easy.
The law takes that choice away once you hit that third conviction.
Rothenbuhler's Christmas morning theft spree just bought her a potential five-year vacation in state prison courtesy of Florida's three-strikes approach to repeat offenders.
¹ Sean Joseph, "Repeat Offender Facing A Felony After Stealing Children's Gifts From Underneath A Tree On Christmas Morning," OutKick, December 28, 2025.
