Suspected burglar, or, just getting into the season with a little Santa role-playing?
Suspected burglar dies after getting stuck in chimney (link) — USA Today
"When a homeowner lit a fire in his fireplace, he says he heard a man scream from inside the chimney and the house filled with smoke, according to Fresno County Sheriff's office. Firefighters, who came to the Huron, Calif., scene on Saturday, attempted to rescue suspected burglar Cody Caldwell, 19. But they found him dead after taking apart the chimney.
In an attempt to rob the home, Caldwell appears to have climbed into the chimney overnight and got stuck, police said. The coroner's office identified smoke inhalation and thermal burns as Caldwell's cause of death."