A manhunt is underway in Texas for a suspect accused of orchestrating an illegal Easter-themed ‘scavenger hunt’ that involved hiding plastic eggs packed with marijuana in three public parks.

Police in Lufkin, northeast of Houston, say Avante Nicholson even posted a series of photos and clues to Facebook on Easter Sunday tipping off participants as to the whereabout of the drug-laden eggs. 

The images showed each of the five eggs in various spots throughout Morris Frank Park, Winston Park, Grace Dunn Richardson Park, and also behind a nearby Motel 6.

But what may have seemed like a prank or social media stunt quickly turned into a serious criminal investigation.

‘On the surface, it seems implausible that someone would give away a drug, but the follow-up proves that sometimes even the most unlikely things do happen,’ Lufkin Police Chief David Thomas said. 

‘The safety of our community is at the forefront of everything we do. And in cases such as this, when it endangers children, we are even more vigilant.’

The brazenness of the scheme, combined with its proximity to areas where children play, has stunned local officials and sparked outrage throughout the community. 

Police say they were first alerted by a concerned resident who spotted the Facebook posts and immediately notified authorities. 

Officers swept the parks and surrounding areas, eventually recovering four of the five eggs Nicholson had allegedly planted.

The situation took an even more alarming turn the following day, when a local man and his young granddaughter stumbled upon the missing fifth egg at Winston Park, an area frequented by families and children.

He promptly brought it to the local police station.

In total, the five eggs contained more than a quarter of an ounce of marijuana, police said.

The fallout for Nicholson, if captured, could be severe. 

Police have obtained four warrants for his arrest – three for third-degree felony delivery of marijuana in a drug-free zone and one for a state jail felony for delivery of marijuana.

A deeper dive into Nicholson’s Facebook activity further cemented suspicions.

His page includes multiple references to selling narcotics, and in the lead-up to the Easter event, he openly suggested that anyone who ‘shopped’ with him would receive exclusive hints to the locations of the marijuana eggs.

Chief Thomas praised the vigilance of the citizen who reported the Facebook posts, emphasizing the importance of taking all tips seriously, no matter how far-fetched they may seem.

‘Incidents like this are a reminder of why we take seriously all information called in to our offices,’ Thomas said. ‘It’s our job to follow up, and this case shows exactly why that matters.’

The Lufkin Police Department released multiple photos of the recovered eggs as part of their appeal to the public for any information on Nicholson’s whereabouts.

As of Friday, Nicholson remains at large.

Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the Lufkin Police Department directly. 

Officers have warned that anyone found aiding or harboring Nicholson could also face charges.

On Facebook some aired their concerns.

‘I don’t care if people smoke, but I wouldn’t want a child picking up those eggs, this was stupid and now he has felonies,’ wrote one user.

‘Just one more in an increasingly long list of people and institutions taking away the joys of our children. I think it’s disgusting that a grown man would find this funny,’ another added.

Others seemed to make light of the situation.  

‘Looks like quality stuff. Dude had this planned for advertisement purposes. He’ll be out and No.1 salesman next week,’ quipped one.

‘Man dude was just playing Easter bunny,’ joked another.