On Monday afternoon, someone decided to try and shop for free from a person's porch in a neighborhood near Mission and Irvington, within Midvale Park.
The person got away with two packages, but the whole crime was caught on the victim's surveillance cameras.
CAUGHT ON CAM: A man steals two packages from the porch of a home on Tucson's Southwest Side. Her home surveillance captured the whole thing. The victim hopes he won't strike again @kgun9 @whatsuptucson pic.twitter.com/9KSISZrbP6
— Max Darrow (@MaxDarrowTV) March 25, 2018
"I reported it to the post office, and the police department," Maria Geare said.
She expected to come home to find two packages there, with new shoes. The thief got his hands on them first, and now she's out nearly $200. That being said, she's less concerned about the money than she is about her safety.
"You know, packages can be replaced or whatever, you know," Geare said. "But I'm afraid that he's going to take it to the second level and break in when I'm in there. Then what? So, I'm scared."
Joe Miller, the president of the Midvale Park Neighborhood Association, was alarmed when he found out this happened. He says a crime like this hasn't happened in a while in the area.
"More than anything, you know, we feel violated," Miller said.
While this isn't an ongoing problem in the neighborhood, he wants everyone in his neighborhood to remember to "harden the target," and to speak up if they see something fishy.
"If you do those things, if you just do the basics, if you do your part," he said. "We'll do our part and the police will do their part, and it all works together."
Geare and Miller hope if someone knows anything about this incident, and who's responsible, to contact the authorities. Someone convicted of mail theft can face up to five years in prison, and up to $250,000 in fines.
Some tips to keep your packages safe include having them sent to the workplace, or requiring signature upon delivery.
