Porch pirates striking this holiday season in Harris County, some will be surprised

Law enforcement catching porch pirates during the holiday season

FOX 26 Reporter Damali Keith spoke with one homeowner who was targeted by porch pirates.

HOUSTON - This holiday season delivery drivers seem to be working non-stop but unfortunately, so are porch pirates.

In fact, two accused package thieves were just arrested in north Harris County. One guy who was arrested is believed to have hit about 12 houses, stealing packages from the porch and items from open garages, all while he was out on bond for a robbery charge.

When you look at Bryant Clark's home surveillance video it is disturbing. Less than five minutes after the family's package with several Christmas gifts for the kids is delivered, someone comes and steals it in broad daylight.

"A split second. Like we’re talking about 4 or 5 seconds this individual came and snatched it from our front door," Clark explains.

Precinct 4 deputies arrested a 19-year-old woman within minutes after Clark’s wife saw the unsettling video. She and a neighbor called 911 and deputies arrived within one minute of the call. In fact, in Precinct 4, deputies are inconspicuously saturating neighborhoods following delivery trucks so they can catch porch pirates.

18-year-old Chelton Daughtry was recently arrested and is believed to be responsible for stealing packages and other items from at least three north Houston subdivisions. "For about a week we got close to a dozen calls where this individual was stealing things off front porches and going into open garages," explains Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman.

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Constable Herman says the packages were being swiped from porches while Daughtry was out on bond for robbery. "He’s walking the streets out on bond committing more crimes," says Herman.

"Stealing from others, no not acceptable. Those kinds of people that are out stealing from others, they need to get a job, or they need to go to jail," says Houston resident Jerry Stigler whose neighbor was also a victim.

"One of the things I keep talking to people around here about is being a good neighbor is the best thing we can have. Get to know your neighbor," adds Annette Stigler.

"They’re going around following the Amazon trucks, following the UPS trucks looking for chances to take something from somebody else, and it’s Christmas. Like this is the most wonderful time of the year. Like, come on. I think it’s extremely disappointing seeing that you work hard to make sure your kids have a really good Christmas. We’re big on not just giving to our kids but giving to others," says Clark.

Constable Herman suggests grabbing your package from your porch as soon as it’s delivered and to make sure neighbors are watching out for one another.

The Clarks say they’re no longer going to have packages delivered to their home. It isn’t as convenient, but they plan to have their packages delivered to designated parcel pick-up locations from now on.