Confusing Christmas tree caper: Reverse-Grinch strikes Hamilton home

In a city so often associated with brazen break-ins and daring porch thefts, one person - or persons - may have just taken the cake.

In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, sometime after 2 a.m. and before a light snowfall, an unidentified number of people inconspicuously jumped into a Rosedale backyard, dug three perfect holes and planted a trio of rootless Christmas trees some 12 inches deep in rock-hard soil.

They left without a single trace.

There was no tire marks in the driveway, there was no footprints anywhere," said Jovan Jovanovic, who jokingly referred to his Montrose Avenue backyard as the scene of the crime.

You know how when you drag a Christmas tree, it leaves bristles everywhere? Well, there's none. Anywhere."

It is a mystery so arbitrary and absurd, so innocent, that Jovanovic can barely wrap his head around the idea.

All three of the trees are dead.

Two of them, tall and with their pine needles still green, were stabbed into a hole dug with what looks to be either an auger or small shovel.

Another one, a small 10-inch planter tree most likely found on a porch, was taken out of a pot and delicately planted into a circular patch of soil in the middle of the yard.

The person or persons responsible did not steal anything or inflict any damage to the fenced backyard.

This is so mind-boggling, I can't even think of something that compares," said Jovanovic.

Here is what we know.

Jovanovic went to bed at around 10:30 p.m. His fiancee came home from work at 11 p.m. and stayed up until roughly 2 a.m. The couple's otherwise boisterous dog, an Australian shepherd, didn't make a peep throughout the night.

(My fiancee) didn't see the motion sensors come on or anything," Jovanovic said. And (the dog) barks at everything around us."

According to Environment Canada, snow began to fall in Hamilton at around 3:30 a.m.

Considering the culprit or culprits left no footprints or tire marks in the snow - someone had to have drove because you can't just drag the trees" - it is reasonable to assume the covert operation took place sometime between 2:15 a.m. and 3:15 a.m.

Jovanovic was made aware of the new fixtures in his yard at about 10 a.m. while at work.

His fiancee messaged him.

Did you plant the trees in the backyard? Where did the trees come from?" she asked.

Jovanovic was clueless.

So, she FaceTimed me," Jovanovic said, and she goes to the backyard and was like, This is kind of creepy ... but there's three Christmas trees here.'"

A floored Jovanovic posted a photo of the trees to Reddit.

More than 285 people liked the post. Another 60 commented, some sharing in surprise and others offering theories.

Your version of the monolith," said one user. Set out a case of beer and see if anything else happens."

It was obviously Santa," said another.

One user asked Jovanovic if he was sure his fiancee and dog weren't in cahoots to bamboozle a prank.

It is definitely not my fiancee because she was legitimately concerned that someone was in our backyard," Jovanovic replied to the theory in an interview late Wednesday afternoon.

Jovanovic has lived at his Montrose Avenue home for four years without issue.

He is not particularly concerned, but he does find this - whatever this" is, a prank, a stunt, a caper - deeply odd and, in a way, remarkably impressive.

In my head, I'd like to think it was probably just some kids having fun, thinking, Oh, this guy's going to get a kick out of these trees planted in his backyard.'"

Sebastian Bron is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: sbron@thespec.com