RICHMOND, Va (WRIC) — Police say a “porch pirate” dressed as an Amazon delivery driver was caught on camera stealing packages from a home in Virginia.
Three packages were taken last week, in the middle of the day, from the front stoop of a Richmond home.
Ring doorbell surveillance video shows a person walking up the home’s stone footpath and dropping off a package before taking three unattended boxes. Then the person slowly walks away to a waiting blue four-door sedan.
The person with the packages appears to place the boxes on a back seat before sitting in the front passenger seat.
When the apparent thief turns away from the house with their cargo, a recognizable arrow can be seen on the shoulder area of the person walking away, similar to those seen on Amazon delivery vans and driver uniforms.
However, there was no van in sight — just an apparent getaway car.
Leah Seay, a communications representative for Amazon, told NewsNation affiliate WRIC that the thief is not a driver or associate for Amazon. Seay confirmed that there were no Amazon drivers in the area during the time of the theft.
Amazon is working with Richmond police to investigate the incident further.
“Obviously it’s a shame. I’m sure it’s happened more and more often,” area resident Andrew Breton told WRIC.
“I’m sorry to hear that it’s happened to other people. I also can imagine there’s a lot of people in more desperate straits than usual, just given the state of the economy these days. So I’m also not surprised that people might be resorting to stealing packages,” he said.
The night before the theft, surveillance video captured the original Amazon delivery. The video shows the Amazon delivery driver taking a photo, which the company said drivers may do when packages are left unattended for proof items arrived. Then, the delivery driver walks back to the Amazon van across the street.
The homeowner, who did not wish to be identified, told WRIC the package dropped-off at his house by the porch pirate was addressed to another Richmond home, and someone who ended up with one of his packages returned it.
Based on these events, he believes whoever did this, may be discarding packages they don’t want after stealing them, at homes where they’re looking for more.
Richmond police ask people to consider picking up packages at work, a family member’s house, a distribution center or to request a signature upon delivery.