Frequently, real life is much stranger than fiction. This is especially the case wherever children and safety issues come together. One of these stories really happened. The other two were teleported through time by Sith, the dark lord of the future. Can you tell which ones real?

A) Thieves steal an 8-year-old’s Christmas presents at gunpoint

B) 12-year-olds hold up mall Santa at gunpoint, thinking he’s the real deal

C) Annoyed mall Santa uses pepper spray on children trying to talk to him during his lunch break.

While you’re contemplating the correct answer, please consider this very real safety fact:

Candles are responsible for around 18,000 home fires each year, most of them around the holiday season.

Answer:

Four days before the Christmas of 2008, in Columbia, South Carolina, police say an 8-year-old boys was intercepted on the way to his bus stop by two armed robbers. They held him at gunpoint and forced the boy back into his house, at which point they proceeded to steal his Christmas presents. Among the items took was a Playstation and 4 games. They also stole his uncle’s and mothers wallet along with a cell phone and a pair of pants.

Source: USA Today, 12-22-08