A Clarendon Hills family experienced the all-too-common occurrence of porch piracy firsthand, as they were returning home to find a thief in the act of taking their deliveries. A Ring doorbell camera captured the scene, revealing the thief and an accomplice waiting in a red Honda CR-V. The getaway car honked its horn, signaling the thief to escape with the stolen goods just as the family pulled into the driveway, NBC Chicago reported.
According to the footage, which the family reviewed afterward, the thief and his partner had been casing the house and following delivery trucks around their neighborhood, revealing a premeditated scheme to snatch delivered items. "My husband was like, ‘Oh my God, he’s taking all of our packages and stuffing them in the DoorDash bag!’" Sarah DePasquale told WGN-TV. Among the items stolen were children's snow boots, a custom ornament in memory of DePasquale's mother, and various Christmas gifts, DePasquale noted, emphasizing the personal loss felt from the theft.
The local authorities have been notified and are searching for the porch pirates. Police urge residents to take measures to safeguard their packages, such as using locking drop boxes, asking for deliveries to be placed out of sight, and shipping to secure locations when not home. Meanwhile, the thefts are part of a larger issue for the Chicago area, which SafeWise reports as having the highest incidence of porch piracy in the nation, with nearly 6.5 million thefts last year. SafeWise suggests consumers use delivery alerts and opt for signature confirmations to combat the issue.
As the families in communities like Clarendon Hills navigate this regular infraction upon their doorsteps, many are reconsidering the convenience of home deliveries. The DePasquale family, in particular, has been left to deal with the aftermath of the crime, which, for some items, might mean losing the money outright. "I thought I was being so smart because we had been out of town," DePasquale said, reflecting on her decision to schedule deliveries for the day of their return. Amazon typically offers refunds or replacements when a police report is filed, but for the DePasquales, some losses, especially the sentimental, are irreplaceable.
