PORCH PIRATES

ond time, the value of the Amazon purchase was about $20.

“By this time, I had a Ring Doorbell and caught the woman on camera, got a great video of her (you could see her face perfectly) but unfortunately she was never caught,” she said. “I wish the thieves would’ve been caught but I’ve learned my lesson and absolutely nothing gets sent to my home anymore.”

Foster said both times Amazon sent her the items again within 24 hours and the police followed up with her a month after the second theft occurred.

Captain Chad Niswonger with the Sutter County Sheriff’s Department said they haven’t seen an uptick in thefts from porches.

“We have not had many thefts regarding items stolen from the porches,” Niswonger said. “We do not keep stats specifically on this so it is difficult to get an exact number but it does not seem to be something rampant.”

He said video surveillance helps, if the camera resolution is high enough, but there’s no assurance the thieves will be caught and the items returned.

“Security footage is beneficial and can help us identify the subject(s) quickly,” he said. “Of course the quality of the video can sometimes be an issue (especially with cheaper models) and make it difficult to obtain any pertinent information.”

Niswonger said that good neighbors can help thwart or minimize thefts.

“With the help of social media and the public, a good quality screen capture of the suspect can bring a quick arrest or identification,” he said. “Recently, we have seen a rise in subjects coming from out of town to commit thefts because they do not think they will be easily recognized if they are captured on surveillance. This may slow down identification, however it has not diminished it when passed along on social media or outside agencies.”

Jen Lawton witnessed what she thought was a theft and took action to stop it.

“I just happened to be parked in front of someone’s home when I noticed a male walk past the home,” she said in a Facebook comment. “He then walked back past the house, went up to the windows and looked in. Then, he proceeded to grab the bike that was on the front porch.”

Lawton got out of her car, confronted the man and said he needed to put the bike back.

“I told him it was as simple as calling Marysville Police to see who was right and he put the bike back and left,” she said. “When the home occupant woke, I told him not to leave his bike out front as someone tried to steal it. He quickly brought it inside.”

Marysville Police Lt. Manuel Cardoza said the porch thefts are are often a crime of opportunity.

“We made one arrest in February with the help of a Ring Camera that caught the crime on video,” he said. “We had the suspect in custody the next day.”

Leslie Carbah, with the Yuba County Sheriff’s, said they don’t specifically track porch thefts because they’re considered larceny-theft; either petty or grand depending on the value of the item taken.

Less than $950 is petty theft and more than $950, is grand theft.