Moment NYC man fed up with porch pirates lures thief with fake parcels to catch him in the act
Security camera footage captured the moment a suspected porch pirate fell into a trap set by a Queens homeowner, who strategically placed a fake parcel on the stoop to catch thieves in the act.
Carlos Mejia, fed up with thieves targeting his deliveries, decided to set up "decoy packages" outside his home last week as a deterrent. "I was just trying to make an example for those out there doing the same thing ... stealing from others," Mejia explained.
The viral video from Mejia's home security system on TikTok, with over 800,000 views, shows a man entering the yard, taking a box, and attempting to conceal it in his backpack. Mejia quickly emerges from his house with a baseball bat, confronting the thief.
"What you got in there?" Mejia demands, prompting the alleged thief to assert the contents are his. "You can have everything, bro," the man responds as Mejia brandishes the bat.
Despite the thief's claims of residing nearby, Mejia orders him to kneel down. Ignoring protests, Mejia detains the intruder until police arrive.
In another video on TikTok, the thief tries to flee over a fence but is subdued by Mejia until law enforcement arrives. The subsequent arrest video shows the accused pleading for an ambulance and questioning the reason for his arrest as he's handcuffed.
Identified as 36-year-old Victor Stazzone, the suspected porch pirate faces charges of petit larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, and criminal trespass.
Mejia later shared photos on TikTok revealing the decoy package's contents: old French fries and a note warning against further thefts.
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