A career criminal was arrested on Christmas morning after Claremont police caught him burglarizing a nursery.

Around 3:57 a.m., the officer saw 37-year-old Hector Palanco committing the burglary at Corey Nursery, and was seen loading car batteries into a vehicle backed up to the nursery’s fence, according to a release from the Claremont Police Department.

When Mr. Palanco saw the officer, he allegedly took off on foot, and was eventually caught, police said. Officers discovered that he had cut a hole in the chain link fence surrounding the nursery and removed batteries from cars on the property.

Police said Mr. Palanco had taken 15 batteries before being caught by the officer.

He was arrested and taken to CPD jail. While being booked, police allege that Mr. Palanco told officers, “Thanks to Prop 47, this is only a misdemeanor. Cite me out.”

This is in reference to Proposition 47, which reduced some nonviolent crimes from felonies to misdemeanors in an attempt to reduce prison overcrowding.

Mr. Palanco was described as a career criminal for burglary, and is currently on parole for assault with a deadly weapon, police said.