'Prolific Porch Pirate' arrested, accused of posing as Amazon driver to steal packages in Bellaire

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Wednesday, January 24, 2024
Phony Amazon driver arrested, allegedly stole packages in Bellaire
A man accused of posing as an Amazon driver to steal packages from Bellaire residents' front porches has been arrested, police said.

BELLAIRE, Texas (KTRK) -- A man who posed as an Amazon delivery driver is in custody after a string of package thefts in Bellaire.

In at least two cases, the man struck right after the packages had been delivered. Bellaire police couldn't confirm if he was following delivery trucks, but they said he had an Amazon vest with him when they made the arrest.

Surveillance camera footage from Jan. 12 show the suspect emerge from a dark-colored SUV moments after a man pulls out of his driveway.

You can see the suspect walking up to the man's neighbor's home and then walking away with a box.

He then walks over to the first man's home and takes another package.

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"It's somebody in an Amazon vest, and they're holding our neighbor's package, and they bend down, grab ours, and they leave," Lorie Williamson said.

Williamson said police told her it's the same man they arrested last week at Meyerland Plaza with a trunk full of stolen deliveries.

Police told Eyewitness News they have no names to go off because the stolen items were taken out of their mailing boxes. Police said investigators are still working to track down as many as 20 victims.

"We alerted Amazon as well, and they took it very seriously. I mean, they wanted to know everything, and they asked for the security footage as well," Williamson said.

Another woman on another Bellaire street told Eyewitness News that she had a package stolen by a fake Amazon driver on Jan. 11, but it's unclear if he's the same guy who stole from Williamson and her husband.

"Just pick (your packages) up as soon as you get them. Just be aware," Williamson said.

Police said they tracked down the suspect using license plate readers, but that he hasn't been charged yet.

Eyewitness News emailed Amazon to ask how one of its uniforms might have ended up in a porch pirate's hands. A spokesperson said the company was looking into the situation.

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