West Miami Police release video of suspected serial porch pirate
MIAMI - West Miami Police are asking for help finding a woman who they believe is a serial porch pirate and they say she has been caught on video.
CBS News Miami's Peter D'Oench has obtained exclusive surveillance tape and Ring cam video from West Miami Police they say shows the woman walking down Sylvania Boulevard near S.W. 10th St. around 3 pm last Thursday, stopping at the home and looking at passing vehicles while smoking a cigarette and then approaching the home and stealing a package with jewelry in it and then walking away.
West Miami Police Detective Richard Menor says she may have victimized three other homeowners at nighttime but this was the first time she has been seen in the daylight. Menor says police are eager to find her before she strikes again. He also believes she lives in the area.
Menor says, "We just want to get her off the street. This is frustrating for residents who come home expecting a package and it is not there. We want this sort of thing to be stopped."
Menor says, "You see her approaching the house and the driveway and you see her stopping in the sidewalk. She smokes a cigarette and looks around and is looking at traffic in the area. These recent package thefts have been averaging between $100 and $200 in items taken."
He says, "She is between 5'6 and 5'8 and maybe 130 to 140 pounds. She is a white female in her 20s. It would mean a lot to find her so more residents could get deliveries to their homes and not have people coming on their property to steal their property."
Menor says as far as he knows, this woman has not victimized homeowners before this latest robbery spree. It's not known if she has struck in other South Florida cities.
He says she typically has been looking for small items and packages.
He urges people to be on the lookout for criminals at all times.
He says, "Maybe there is somebody in your neighborhood who you have not seen before. Maybe they are just hanging out. Maybe they are circling your neighborhood. A lot of time subjects, these package thieves will follow UPS trucks or Amazon trucks to see where they may be stopping at."
"It's important for victims to file police reports because companies may need to see a police report before refunding you for a package or sending you another one," says Menor.
He also has some safety tips.
"If you are receiving a package and know you will not be at home for the delivery service, you should be aware of where drop-off centers are for Amazon and UPS. Also, you can have a package delivered to someone you know will always be at home so they can get the package for you."
Menor says finding this woman is a priority.
If you can help, call West Miami Police at (305) 266-0530 or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).