Amazon packages found strewn about San Jose's Guadalupe River

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KTVU) - Dozens of opened Amazon packages were found discarded along the Guadalupe River in San Jose and most of the contents inside the boxes were gone. The woman who found the boxes estimates thousands of dollars of goods were stolen likely from a truck and dozens of customers were victimized.

Kim Hamilton and her boyfriend were searching for a stolen bike Saturday afternoon along the Guadalupe River in San Jose not far from their home near Almaden Expressway when she made a unusual discovery.

"I was amazed that these many boxes would be down here seemingly undisturbed," said Kim Hamilton of San Jose. "I don't know how many people walk this path but it amazes me that nobody knows it yet."

Tucked underneath some trees and bushes at least 50 Amazon packages were emptied of its contents with random products lying around.

"Here's somebody's cat food that apparently wasn't usable for someone going through the packages," said Hamilton. 

Other items a whisk, charcoal and some books.

"There was a toaster in a tree, it may have come from one of these packages you just never know," said Hamilton.

She suspects the packages were taken from a truck and more than one person was involved.

"I don't know if they brought them here so they could secretly go through them and take whatever they wanted and nobody would see them," said Hamilton. 

San Jose Police said it wasn't aware about the incident. The U.S. Postal Service said Amazon is in charge of its packages. In a statement, Amazon said: "The vast majority of deliveries make it to customers without issue. If something occurs, we work with customers directly to make it right. We've notified the right teams internally and are working with the customers directly regarding their orders."

"Oh my gosh that's terrible, people's hard earned money being thrown away like that that's not good at all," said Linda Lubovich of San Jose.

Lubovich lives on a street where you can see the boxes below. She is not surprised.

"San Jose is number three in California for package theft, it's a really big problem," said Lubovich.

Five miles away is where many of packages were supposed to be delivered to the Amazon Hub Center on East San Fernando Street, where the window clearly states it's a secure pickup location.

Others were supposed to be delivered to apartment complexes.

"It seems like there's no safe place to have your packages delivered anymore, somebody is going to take them at some time," said Hamilton. 

Hamilton said despite seeing all these boxes strewn by the river this has not deterred her from using Amazon again.

"I don't know if Amazon is to blame," said Hamilton. "I think it could have been an opportunistic person who found the right opportunity to take the stuff."