Santa Ana

Woman Wanted for Stealing Package from Santa Ana Porch

The woman is believed to have followed the package from the mail truck to the house, police said.

A woman was wanted for stealing a package from the porch of a Santa Ana home Thursday, police said.

Surveillance video caught the woman riding a bike up to the home in the 1100 Block of N. Linwood Ave. and removing a United States Postal Service package that had just been delivered, according to the Santa Ana Police Department.

The contents of the package were not immediately known, but the woman is believed to have followed it from the mail truck to the home. The area has seen a recent increase in package thefts, according to police.

"More and more people are buying online so more items are being delivered," Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said. "As that increases, so will this crime."

The home was equipped with several video surveillance signs, but one neighbor said she wasn’t surprised that the theft occurred in broad daylight.

"That’s the best time to do it, when people are at work," neighbor Barb Schmidt said. "It's quiet here then. We were robbed twice when we were both at work."

The suspect is described as being between 20 and 25-years-old with brown shoulder length hair, and was wearing a black V-neck T-shirt and black tennis shoes at the time of the theft. She was seen riding a purple or dark-colored metallic mountain bike.

Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Verdugo at 714-245-8345 or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.

The Santa Ana Police Department has also recommended the following tips to prevent the theft of mail and packages from doorsteps:

  • Use online tracking so that you know exactly when the package is supposed to arrive.
  • If you know you won’t be home at the delivery time, ask a friend or neighbor to pick up the package, or leave a note for the delivery person to leave it somewhere specific or have it delivered elsewhere.
  • Require that the package be signed for, which guarantees that it won’t be left unattended.
  • Ask your local post office to hold any deliveries so you can pick them up at your own convenience.
  • Set up a camera facing your door or walkway to help track any deliveries or activity.
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