‘Porch pirate’ planned to re-gift stolen Amazon packages for Christmas, deputies say
Deputies in Polk County say they’ve arrested a woman who was caught on video taking Amazon deliveries from the front porch of a home in Winter Haven.
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According to the sheriff’s office, the theft was reported just after noon Monday in the Sun Ridge Village subdivision.
Video from a surveillance camera installed by the victim showed a woman dressed in black walking up to the porch where the packages were visible, then leaving with multiple boxes. The suspect then leaves the area in a red truck.
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Deputies say the victim later learned that a neighbor was also a victim of an attempted package theft just a week earlier, but it wasn’t captured on video.
According to the sheriff’s office, with the help of a crime analyst, the detective investigating the case reviewed the surveillance video and tentatively identified the woman as 32-year-old Kensley Mott, based on her appearance.
Investigators say they later learned Mott owned a red truck similar to the one the theft suspect was seen driving.
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On Tuesday, detectives found Mott working at Hungry Howie’s Pizza in the Wahneta area of Winter Haven and she ultimately admitted to committing the thefts.
Deputies say Mott simply followed the Amazon truck and immediately stole the packages that were delivered.
According to the sheriff’s office, she admitted that she was planning to re-gift the stolen items for Christmas.
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Mott was booked into the Polk County jail Tuesday on charges of grand theft, felony petit theft, and two counts of burglary of a dwelling.
She has a prior history of arrests dating back to 2016 for theft and drug possession, according to the sheriff’s office.
“It’s that time of year when porch pirates are most prevalent,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement following Mott’s arrest. “If at all possible, have your packages delivered when someone will be home, to a friend or neighbor’s home, or to your place of business. If not, invest in a security system that alerts you immediately when someone is on your porch.”
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