Authorities target porch theft in ‘bait package mission’

Aimee Plante
·2 min read
3

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – As the holiday shopping season continues, authorities in Washington County are catching local Grinches in the act.

As online shopping grows more popular, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office says they’ve seen an uptick in folks making off with packages that are not theirs. And thanks to the booming popularity of doorbell cameras, it’s becoming more documented than ever.

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“Over time, people just become more brazen with it,” Sgt. Cliff Lascink said.

Those willing to steal packages from porches are being targeted in a “bait package mission” that uses decoy packages with electronic tracking devices.

“Our patrol deputies get notified right away and they’re able to go in and track it and make a stop,” Sgt. Lascink said.

Within 24 hours, officials say two went missing.

Deputies say they were able to track the packages in both instances. The first led them to a vehicle in Hillsboro near Northeast Wilkins Street and Briarcreek Way, where they arrested 33-year-old Natashia Gomez for second-degree theft and felony mail theft.

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KOIN 6 reported back in 2020 when WCSO was looking for a woman – identified as Gomez – suspected of a strong-arm robbery. According to court records, the same woman in the package theft case pled guilty to that robbery in March 2021. She’s expected back in court next week.

The second bait package was found discarded in Aloha. Officials say they were able to track the suspect – who remains unnamed – through video footage.

“We’re really able to target those areas where we’re seeing that theft and try to take some enforcement action in those areas,” Lascink said.

WSCO is still investigating both cases, and the bait program will continue to track thieves in the area.

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Though WSCO has seen a rise in package theft over the years, they say they may never know the real number — because many victims tend to just file a claim with the online retailer their stolen package was bought from.

“I think it’s safe to assume that we’ve seen rising package theft along with those. The same token though, we know that it’s severely unreported,” Lascink said.

It’s why WCSO is hoping victims will log any theft with an online police report. You can file a report online with your local agency, like WCSO in this case, or by calling the non-emergency line.

“The more data we have, the more times we have it reported, the more cases we can link together, and potentially you have evidence in your case that’s going to help somebody else out in theirs,” Lascink said.

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