‘It’s a growing problem’: Woman captures Amazon packages containing her birthday gifts being stolen from porch
By Kelly Kendall
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WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina (WXII) — A Winston-Salem woman is speaking out after her birthday gifts were stolen off of her front porch over the weekend.
Tina Utt was talking to her mother over the weekend when she made an alarming discovery.
“She was like, ‘Did you open your birthday gifts?’ And I was like, ‘What are you talking about? I didn’t. I didn’t get anything.’ And she’s like, ‘No, it was delivered yesterday.’ And I was like, ‘No, there was nothing,’” Utt said. “Then she goes, ‘Somebody must have stolen it,’ And I said, ‘What?’”
Utt checked her Ring doorbell camera footage for Jan. 18 and confirmed that her mother’s premonition was correct. The footage revealed that around noon, Amazon dropped off three packages at Utt’s Southwin Drive home. Then, at around 5:11 p.m., Utt watched those same packages disappear.
“I kept watching and saw where a vehicle pulled into my driveway,” Utt said. “And a girl got out in an Amazon vest and approached my house.”
From there, the person wearing the Amazon vest places an envelope on Utt’s porch and proceeds to take the three Amazon packages off of her porch. The suspect loads them into what appears to be a personal vehicle before driving away.
Utt says the envelope was Amazon-branded with the label slightly torn off and was empty on the inside. She says there was a Walmart package on her porch as well that the porch pirate did not steal.
Utt says she filed a report with the Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD). While watching WXII 12 News, she discovered the same thing happened to a Winston-Salem couple last week.
“I’m just really angry that this keeps happening,” she said. “I remembered seeing the story on WXII about the couple who had their gifts stolen for their wedding, and I was like, ‘If nobody speaks out, then this is just going to keep happening.’”
Utt says the incident has left her feeling disappointed.
“It’s hurtful because you feel personally violated by somebody who thinks that they just have a right to come and step onto your property and take what belongs to you,” she said.
She says it’s not the missing gifts that bother her but rather the impact this kind of theft has on people like her mother.
“It bothers me that she took her time and her money to do something nice for me, and somebody took that away,” Utt said.
Utt hopes this incident serves as a warning to the whole community.
“It’s a growing problem in the community, like it’s growing,” she said. “It’s not stopping, it’s not slowing down. And especially when they have evidence like, can we investigate it?”
WSPD confirmed to WXII in an email that it is investigating this incident. At this point, investigators cannot confirm this incident and the similar larceny of Amazon wedding gifts on Kinnamon Rd are connected. No arrests have been made in either case.
WXII reached out to Amazon. A spokesperson with the company says they are looking into this incident.
WSPD shared tips for residents to avoid falling victim to porch pirates.
Schedule deliveries: WSPD recommends scheduling deliveries to be dropped off when you or someone you trust will be at home. Pick a secure location: Choose a delivery location that you are confident a porch pirate can’t get to, such as your workplace or a trusted neighbor’s home. Choose signature-required delivery: Many carriers offer options for package holds or deliveries requiring a signature, ensuring that packages are not left unattended. Choose a less visible delivery location: Many carriers will allow a customer to choose a specific spot around their property to drop off packages that may be less visible to those looking for a quick grab. Invest in a package lockbox: A lockbox can be used by legitimate delivery persons to secure your items if you are unable to pick them up immediately upon drop off. Build strong relationships with neighbors: Building strong relationships with neighbors can be invaluable, as a watchful community is often the first line of defense against suspicious activity. Contact authorities and sellers: If theft does occur, report it immediately to both the delivery service and local authorities. Many retailers and credit card companies offer purchase protections and may replace stolen items at no additional cost.
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