Santa Rosa's holiday package thief caught in the act

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KTVU) - In Santa Rosa, one neighbor’s awareness paid off as police say an alleged package thief was caught in the act. With millions of gifts being delivered for the holidays, “porch piracy” is running rampant this holiday season.

But on Verbena Way, officers were able to pounce and apprehend a man who was allegedly tailing a UPS truck and taking packages as soon as they were delivered.

"You know, it's someone's Christmas, someone's gift, and that's being taken from them,” Ragle Ranch resident Tammi Jarvinen told KTVU.

Jarvinen said word of the arrest spread fast in the community.

"Oh it went crazy! Everyone was so happy that someone called it in and they caught him because that's so rare," she exclaimed.

Thursday evening, a resident was looking out her window and saw a United Parcel Service truck arrive across the street, and the driver drop a package on the porch.

Then she saw a man in a pickup truck pull up and snatch that box, throwing it into the back of his truck.
She called police and they made a traffic stop on 43 year old John Poncia.

"Immediately upon walking up to the truck, they found some of the stolen packages in the back of the truck," Santa Rosa Police Sgt. Josh Ludtke told KTVU. 

Ludtke, head of the property crimes unit, said more packages were found in the truck cab, and later at Poncia's home.    

"He's been busy because we've found victims from Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, and Windsor,” observed Ludtke, "at least 10 victims, maybe more." 

Some items were retrieved, to be returned to rightful owners.

"Everything from power cords to lotions to toys," described Ludtke.

But most packages were not intact, and the merchandise long gone. Sold or if inexpensive, discarded as trash.   

"We looked through his garbage to see if there are any packaging labels we can match up with victims," added Ludtke.

Santa Rosa PD is getting about one package theft report a day, but it's a problem across the Bay Area. 

"It's too bad it has to happen, there's so many kids that are looking forward to it," victim Greg Quackenbush told KTVU, at the door of his Santa Rosa home.

Earlier this month, a woman came onto his porch and took a box that had been delivered a few hours before. She left a substitute box, full of dirty clothes.

His surveillance system captured clear images of her, and he would like to see her held responsible, even though what she stole must have been disappointing.  

"Actually she got a sewer cable for my trailer," Quackenbush chuckled, "worth about 35 bucks. She was looking for something good. She didn't get it."

The best prevention is having packages held for pick up, signed for, or sent to a workplace or neighbor who is home.

Package theft is considered petty theft but it doesn't feel petty to victims. 

"It really has an impact on their feelings of safety and security that someone would steal right off their front porch," concluded Sgt. Ludtke.

Because delivered packages are generally worth much less than $950, stealing them is a misdemeanor, generally carrying mild penalties: probation, fines, minimal jail time.

As online shopping has grown, so has the porch piracy. By one estimate, 23 million Americans will be victims this holiday season.