In a show of holiday spirit, Community Friends Inc., a Delray Beach nonprofit, stepped in to spread some Christmas cheer after a porch pirate made off with presents from a local teacher's home. Keyanna Evans, a second-grade teacher at Village Academy, became the victim of theft when a man snatched packages intended for two boys from her doorstep. As captured on her doorbell cameras, the thief hid his identity using a shirt.
Shortly after the thievery, Debbee Katz, the nonprofit's president, reached out to Evans offering her support. "I saw them taking the gifts that video, and I said, 'I could help,'" Katz told WPTV. Thanks to Community Friends Inc., the boys had presents to open on Christmas Day. Katz took WPTV's Ethan Stein into a shed brimming with toys and books—treasures amassed through cash donations and collection boxes.
The stolen parcels represented a broader issue highlighted by SafeWise, suggesting that an estimated 113 million packages were stolen in 2022. The Florida attorney general's office has provided tips for safeguarding deliveries, including scheduling when someone is home and requiring signatures for packages. Though Evans had security cameras, they were not enough to deter the bold thief.
Evans, deeply affected by the theft, had to share the unfortunate news with her 13-year-old son, "and my son, who is very in tune to me, and he came home and he was like, 'What's wrong mom? What's wrong mom?' and I just had to tell him because it was all over my face. My body was shaking," she revealed to WFLX. The theft was particularly disheartening, as the culprit wore a shirt from a local roofing company that donates clothing to the homeless, according to the business owner.
This story of misfortune took a hopeful turn, however, with the generosity showcased by Katz and her organization. Evans expressed her immense gratitude for the kindness shown, saying it helped maintain the Christmas spirit for her family despite the ordeal.
