Chicago Man Catches Porch Pirate On Camera Leads Police To Make Arrest

A porch pirate in Oak Forest, Illinois, learned a tough lesson when he was caught less than 24 hours after swiping a package, thanks to the homeowner’s quick actions and tech-savviness. Don Archer discovered through his doorbell camera that someone had stolen a Christmas gift meant for his fiancée. Unfortunately for the thief, he’d looked straight at the camera, giving the police a crystal-clear shot of the suspect’s face.

Archer wasted no time reporting the theft and handing over the video to the police. While his camera was the only one to catch the act itself, other surveillance cameras in the neighborhood picked up the thief’s license plate, adding to the pile of evidence against the suspect. The very next morning, the thief returned to the area for another round of porch piracy but didn’t get far — police tracked his car and arrested him.

Thanks to Archer’s quick thinking, the whole ordeal was wrapped up in record time and local police praised him for taking action. As for the thief, he’s in custody, likely regretting his not-so-slick getaway plan.