A suspected porch pirate was caught on security camera footage falling into a clever trap set by a homeowner in Queens. The thief unknowingly attempted to steal a fake package that had been intentionally placed on the doorstep.
Carlos Mejia expressed his frustration with thieves who targeted packages delivered by FedEx and UPS trucks. He decided to take matters into his own hands by setting up a plan. Last week, he placed “decoy packages” outside his door, hoping to catch one of the thieves in the act.
Mejia explained to Storyful that his intention was simply to set an example for those who engage in similar behaviors of stealing from others.
A video captured by Mejia’s home security system has gained viral attention on TikTok, accumulating over 800,000 views. The footage shows a man entering his yard on Saturday, making his way towards the front steps, and attempting to put a box into his backpack.
Mejia emerges from his house, visibly furious, brandishing a baseball bat.
“Oh, sh*t, man, I just didn’t want anyone to take him!” the suspect exclaimed in a terrified voice.
As the bat looms threateningly over him, the man pleads, “Bro, you can have it all!”
The intruder insists that he resides on the corner, but Mejia disregards his ramblings. “I don’t care! Get down on your knees,” he commands the man. Another video shared by Mejia on his TikTok page captures the alleged thief attempting to escape by climbing a fence, but the homeowner pulls him back down and keeps him restrained until the police arrive.
The suspected porch pirate, identified as 36-year-old Victor Stazzone, was apprehended by the police. Another video captured the moment of his arrest, showing the accused thief shouting dramatically for an ambulance and expressing pain in his hand.
“Why am I being arrested, officer?” Stazzone asks, his face pressed against the ground as he is being handcuffed.
Stazonne faced charges of petit larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, and criminal trespass.
Mejia took to TikTok to share photos of the contents of the decoy package. To their surprise, the package contained nothing more than a few stale French fries and a notecard with a rather aggressive message: “If you continue to steal our belongings, you won’t live to see another year, you despicable person!”
