Watch: Porch pirate snatches package worth over $1,000 in front of delivery driver

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Columbus police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man who brazenly stole a package seconds after a FedEx worker delivered it. 

On Friday, May 31 at 12:56 p.m., an individual stole a package from the porch of a residence located in the 1300 block of Minnesota Avenue in the North Linden neighborhood. Police have labeled the incident as a felony theft, meaning the package must have been worth at least $1,000. 

A home security camera captured the incident. After seven months and no arrest, police posted the footage in late December, hoping a resident will recognize the suspect. 

The video shows a FedEx worker placing the package on the home's porch. Second later, a man holding a cellphone, wearing a red hoodie, dark-colored shorts and white shoes, approached the residence by crossing through the lawn. The FedEx delivery driver said “You live here?” to the suspect, to which no reply can be heard. 

The FedEx worker then took a photo of the package on the porch – a common practice among transport companies to show proof of delivery – just before the suspect began to walk in front of him toward the package.  The delivery driver turned his back and began walking toward his truck, when the suspect picked up the package and began to leave with it. As both men walked away from the home, the suspect said, “Thank you, bro,” to the delivery driver. 

The incident is among the estimated 260,000 package thefts that occur daily across the country, according to SafeWise, a safety and security research group. The website releases an annual report on package thefts, with the most recent study estimating 120.5 million packages were stolen from porches across the country in 2023 – an increase of one million from the year prior. 

“While that's not insignificant, it keeps pace with population numbers and doesn't indicate a real uptick in package theft activity,” the report said. 

There are multiple steps residents can take to help keep their packages safe from porch pirates. ADT, a home security system, said video surveillance systems can help police identify and track down a suspect, as well as possibly scare away potential thieves. 

The company also said using porch pirate bags, a sack made out of durable material that locks onto something fixed on a porch and features a combination lock, can help keep packages safe.  However, this is not a foolproof solution, since a determined criminal could cut through the product to get to the package.

Other options include renting a locker through shipping companies where packages can be delivered, checking off “signature required” when online shopping to ensure the package is delivered directly to the customer, or adding instructions on an order for the delivery driver to leave the package in a certain spot out of plain view.

Columbus police ask anyone with information about the identity of the suspect captured in the video to contact Detective Jeff Neely at 614-645-2047, or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers’ anonymous tip line at 614-461-8477.