Bait package only takes 8 minutes to hook this ‘porch pirate,’ California cops say

It took only eight minutes from planting a decoy package on a doorstep for a “porch pirate” to strike.

On Dec. 11, Milpitas Police Department officers placed a bait package on McCandless Drive. Officers put it on the doorstep at around 1:48 p.m., according to a police statement. Eight minutes later, officers watching the scene saw Flor Estela Hernandez drive up, steal the package, and drive away, police say.

Officers stopped and arrested her, booking Hernandez into Santa Clara County Main Jail. She was charged with “grand theft and being an unlicensed driver,” according to the police release. Her car was also impounded.

“In this particular case, with the property that we had inside of our package, the value was over $950, which made it a felony,” Lt. John Torrez told ABC7 News. “So we were able to book the suspect in this particular case for a felony crime. If it’s under a certain amount it may be a misdemeanor crime.”

Police departments have begun using bait packages with GPS tracking devices to find and arrest suspects. Last week, Anaheim police arrested 34-year-old Leonard Ramos using similar operations when he allegedly stole a package with a GPS inside.

Milpitas police will continue to use bait packages to catch thieves, according to the statement.

This story was originally published December 18, 2019 at 5:52 PM with the headline "Bait package only takes 8 minutes to hook this ‘porch pirate,’ California cops say."