Chicago-area family sets trap, confronts porch pirate on camera
Porch piracy cost Americans an estimated $12 billion in stolen packages over the past year, with 58 million victims nationwide, according to Security.org. One family in Chicago’s western suburbs decided to fight back — and caught the entire encounter on camera.
BELLWOOD – Porch piracy cost Americans an estimated $12 billion in stolen packages over the past year, with 58 million victims nationwide, according to Security.org.
One family in Chicago’s western suburbs decided to fight back — and caught the entire encounter on camera.
What we know:
After repeated thefts, Bellwood resident Jaleel Anthony and his mother set a trap that led to a tense confrontation and a police arrest.
Ring camera footage shows Anthony rushing out of his home in the 600 block of Morris Avenue wearing just a shirt and underwear. The suspect, police said, had been targeting homes across the western suburbs for weeks.
On Tuesday, the Anthonys placed a bait package on their porch. When the thief returned, their Ring camera sent an alert. Armed but cautious, Anthony confronted the man and called police.
The video has since been viewed more than 300,000 times on social media.
The Arrest:
Police discovered more than 30 stolen packages inside the suspect’s vehicle, taken from homes in multiple neighborhoods.
Despite the arrest, authorities later released the man, leaving residents frustrated and questioning whether the justice system is doing enough to deter repeat offenders.
“I realize there’s a reason he’s targeting Cook County. You don’t do this in DuPage, you don’t do it in Will. You’re choosing to target Cook County for a certain reason and it’s disheartening that people know exactly what they’re. So he’s not, it’s not like he doesn’t know what he’s doing. He’s deliberately choosing a certain neighborhood in a certain county,” said Jaleel Anthony.
“Sometimes when you order materials or packages, you can help pick the date and time when you know you might be around. Another really important key for people to remember, there are often many services and many stores, often laundromats or UPS stores, whatever it is in your neighborhood, that will accept packages for you,” Thomas Johnson, with the Better Business Bureau in Chicago, said.
