Man tackles porch pirate trying to escape with stolen package in New York

A man was caught on camera tackling a porch pirate to the ground as he was running from the police after stealing a package from a stranger’s porch.

“Porch Pirates” have become more common recently after a wave of thefts in 2023 that saw many criminals blatantly steal delivery packages from the fronts of people’s homes.

Recently, a porch pirate in Yonkers, New York found out the hard way that it’s not the brightest idea to steal packages from a porch that is equipped with a doorbell camera. 

The homeowner watched through their security cameras as a man out for a stroll walked up to his porch and stuffed a package into his backpack. The thief then grabbed another delivery from the several that were sitting on the porch before he walked away.

Good Samaritan tackles porch pirate in police chase

The Yonkers Police Department responded to the call and spotted the man they soon identified as 27-year-old Francisco Jose Eder Mateo of the Bronx.

When officers approached Eder Mateo, he quickly started to run away. Officers gave chase, and after dropping the stolen goods and losing his camouflage jacket, he was finally taken down by a good Samaritan.

According to the Yonkers Police Department, the good Samaritan turned out to be a Yonkers public works employee who saw Eder Mateo run from the police. Surveillance footage shows the public works employee hopping out of his car after noticing that the thief had burst through the line and past the linebackers.

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Without hesitation, he ran towards Eder Mateo and tackled him to the ground, where officers took over and put him in handcuffs.

According to the Yonkers Police Department, he was charged two felonies; fourth-degree grand larceny and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.

The police department issued a message following the arrest to any thieves thinking about targeting Yonkers. It reads, “To any future thieves planning to commit these crimes in Yonkers- pick somewhere else.”

“Our residents, Officers, and City employees will not stand by and allow you to victimize people in this City. You will be apprehended and delivered to the court system to answer for your actions.”

Police officers in Quebec have recently been criticized after one officer advised that “[people] cannot post the images yourself because you have to remember, in Canada, we have a presumption of innocence, and posting that picture could be a violation of private life.”