Police warn of thieves stealing holiday deliveries from porches

With the holidays in full swing, authorities are warning people having packages delivered to their homes to be wary of porch thieves.

One suspected thief was arrested in Burbank on Thursday evening after a witness in the 4200 block of Woodland Avenue called police about a suspicious man who appeared to be casing the neighborhood. According to Sgt. Derek Green, a spokesman for the Burbank Police Department, officers located the man and found him in possession of two packages addressed to a home on the street.

The man was identified as 33-year-old Daronne Davis, a transient from Los Angeles. Davis told officers he had taken the packages just 15 minutes before officers caught him, according to Green.

The resident confirmed that the packages had been stolen, police said.

Davis was arrested on suspicion of possessing stolen property.

Green said anyone expecting a package should try to be home at the time of delivery and/or set up email or cellphone alerts for when a package is dropped off. Otherwise, they should consider having packages sent to a delivery locker or a post office box, he said.

Here are some additional options from the Los Angeles Police Department for safeguarding deliveries:

• Have packages delivered when/where someone can accept them in person
• Have packages delivered to the vendor’s local store for pickup
• Have packages held by the delivery company for pickup
• Ask for notification when a package is delivered so you can have a trusted neighbor pick it up for you
• Add delivery instructions such as requiring a signature upon delivery or specifying a location to place parcels