Marysville residents warned of increased porch thefts as holiday shopping season begins

MARYSVILLE, Washington — As the holiday shopping season kicks off with Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday, residents are being warned to be wary of porch pirates.

Eric Hall recently fell victim to this crime when a thief recklessly stole a package from his porch.

“He walked past the window, looked at us through the window, came out onto the porch and picked up a package that I didn’t know was there at the time,” Hall said.

She was at home with her children when the incident occurred and initially mistook the thief for a delivery man. The moments of the theft were caught on camera; The suspect was seen walking towards the door, taking the package and running away.

“It was pretty brazen, so it was different than the normal package theft I experience,” Hall said.

He described the experience as frightening and noted that the thief appeared to have something around his waist. “It’s a package that you can always change, it wasn’t worth it, it wasn’t worth approaching this guy, especially when I don’t know what’s under his belt,” Hall added.

Hall reported the theft to the Marysville Police Department. Police have recorded 49 stolen property crimes this year, down from 39 in the whole of 2023. Authorities warn that thieves often exploit the holiday season to steal items from porches.

“I talked to my neighbor and he said that because of the packages that are coming in, a lot of packages are going to be delivered, so their awareness is a little bit higher because of what’s going on here,” Hall said.

To prevent package theft, officials advise residents to be vigilant and follow delivery schedules.