Police were glad this ‘porch pirate’ stole a package from a California home, cops say

The Anaheim Police Department had hoped someone would take the bait.

It ended up being a 34-year-old named Leonard Ramos, authorities said.

Ramos was arrested on Saturday for allegedly stealing a package and activating the GPS locator inside, according to a release by the Anaheim police.

The bait package was planted on a doorstep and the GPS device alerted police to his location, Sgt. Shane Carringer told the OC Register.

“It’s almost like police work cheating,” Carringer said.

Anaheim police have been using the “GPS bait package program” since the summer in order to curb theft and get more arrests, according to Carringer.

Potential thieves wouldn’t know whether the package has a GPS tracker. It would show the location of the device by using a map similar to Lojack, according to the OC Register.

Last week, Anaheim police planted a bait package at a home that had been previously burglarized, according to CBS Los Angeles. There was an iPhone and GPS device inside that allows police to track the package’s location. Once the box is moved, it gives police updates every three seconds.

Ramos was booked at the Orange County Sheriff’s Intake Release Center on $20,000 bail, according to jail records, Action News Jax reported.

States including Texas have passed laws that would give harsher penalties for stealing packages on doorsteps. Effective last September, a Texas law made it a felony to steal things like letters, postcards, packages, and anything considered mail, according to KHOU 11.

This story was originally published December 16, 2019 at 1:48 PM with the headline "Police were glad this ‘porch pirate’ stole a package from a California home, cops say."