Modesto Police Warn Mail Thefts Are On The Rise
MODESTO (CBS13) — Someone is scooping packages off of homeowners' front steps, and police are worried it could happen more as the holidays approach.
After it happened once, Nate McCullough installed surveillance cameras and recorded the thief's next attempt.
At around 4:30 p.m. one afternoon, the suspect rolled up to the front door of the home on his bike. He knocks on the door to make sure nobody's home, then scoops up the package.
In the background of the video, a possible accomplice circles, waiting for the suspect to make a rather casual getaway.
"With a little one here, who knows what else they're gonna do? Are they taking kids? You know that's going around too," McCullough said.
He said someone was home at the time of the theft—his wife looked through the peephole just in time to watch the suspect roll away.
He's not the only one hit with first-class crime on this Modesto street. Across the way, Mike Soto now has all of his packages delivered to his wife's office.
"My son ordered a snowboard last winter and it was on the porch maybe an hour, and the neighbor saw somebody run off with it," Soto said.
Modesto Police say it's happening all over town, and at least 12 times in the last month. That number is probably on the low side since most mail theft goes unreported.
But McCullough made sure to take his video right to cops.
He did manage to find the stolen package. It turns out thieves weren't interested in the yoga book, and ditched it in a nearby alley.
Related articles
- Modesto Thieves Steal Special-Ed Students' Bikes Worth $8,500
- Modesto Cat Burglar Advises Homeowner Learns How To Lock Up House
- 1 Modesto Special-Ed Student Bike Returned, 2 Donated After Theft
- UPDATED: 1 Special-Ed Student Bike Returned After Modesto Thieves Steal 11 Worth $8,500
- Modesto Is Latest City To Float Sales Tax Measure For More Police
- Body Found In Modesto Canal
