Austin man recovers stolen package after tailing porch pirates

AUSTIN, Texas - As we enter the holiday season, police are warning about porch pirates stealing packages you order. One south Austin man allegedly caught a person in the act and confronted her until he got his package back. “It felt very personal, it’s like why? Why do that? It’s just so infuriating to a point,” said Daniel Romero who lives in south Austin.

While adjusting to the work from home life, Romero ordered himself a new laptop, the package arrived much early than expected. When he went to get it it wasn’t there so he turned to his cameras. “I believe it’s no longer than 15 minutes after FedEx dropped it off two girls in a car one of them gets out of the car comes over picks up both packages and they just drive away with it,” said Romero.

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Romero felt they couldn’t have gotten far. “Low and behold 10 minutes after driving I did find the car I ended up following them for quite a bit they did not wanna pull over,” said Romero.

Romero said he was on the phone with the police the entire time he followed them, his dashcam showed the car eventually pulling over. “I told them to just toss my packages out and they did toss my package out,” said Romero.

Romero Was able to recover the laptop he ordered but is worried about the other people who’ve had their packages stolen who weren’t as lucky.

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The suspect is described as a white female, mid-to-late 20s wearing a dark top and shorts.

FOX 7 Austin was sent Ring video from a home in a nearby neighborhood with what appears to be a similar incident. In it you can see someone dressed very similar walk up and take a package from this home, The homeowner told FOX 7 Austin the package had only been delivered just minutes before.

“I’ve always seen it online it’s one of those things that really gets me angry because you get something for your kids or wife and so we just comes and steals it,” said Romero.

Many law-enforcement agencies in central Texas are offering a safer way to get your packages ordered this holiday season. Round Rock has Operation Front Porch.

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“If they order anything online to have those packages sent here to the round rock police department we will safeguard those packages. What we don’t want is those packages sitting in front your front door your driveway or for an extended period time,” said Round Rock police chief Allen Banks.

For Romero, he said he’s already changed the way he receives packages, that way something like this won’t happen again.

For Operation Front Porch, Round Rock police are urging people to get orders in by December 20 because after that they will be closing down for the holidays.

South Austin Crime and Public Safety