WTNH.com

Porch pirate in Wallingford linked to thefts in other areas

WALLINGFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Police are urging residents in Wallingford to be vigilant and protect their deliveries after a porch pirate has been swiping packages from people’s homes.

“It is quite an invasion of my personal space, and I feel worse about that than I do about the loss of material things,” said Brendan Blakeslee of Wallingford.

Blakeslee had a package stolen from his house this week. Dresses for his girlfriend for their upcoming vacation were in the box.

“We had to reorder, and hopefully, they’ll come in time for us to have them for the cruise,” said Blakeslee.

Just down the street from where he lives, another home was hit. Surveillance video shows the porch pirate come up to the house but get back into his car before returning to snatch the package about 10 minutes later.

“Here in Wallingford, currently, there are eight open cases that all have the same description of the vehicle, which is a white Nissan Altima, driven by a white male, who’s about 49-50 years of age,” Wallingford Police Officer Alex Torres said.

Wallingford police believe this man is responsible for other thefts in surrounding communities, including North Haven.

“Try to get to that package as soon as possible,” Torres said. “I know that’s an inconvenience when people work, but maybe talk to one of your neighbors who may be around during the day to pick the package up. Or pick another spot in your house and make Amazon or FedEx aware.”

Blakeslee told News 8 he will be more careful in the future and plans to have cameras installed soon.

“It’s unfortunate, but it’s the world in which we live,” Blakeslee said.

If a package is stolen from your home or you see a theft in action, report it to the police immediately.