FedEx Driver, Darien Homeowner Help Thwart 'Porch Pirate': PD

DARIEN, CT — A FedEx driver and a Darien homeowner last week helped police thwart the theft of an Apple iPhone fraudulently delivered to a vacant home on Edmond Street in Darien, according to authorities.

The incident occurred on morning of Dec. 12 when a FedEx driver alerted a Herman Avenue homeowner about a suspicious man at the end of his driveway.

"The driver stated the suspicious person, described as a black male, had just attempted to retrieve a package from [an address on nearby] Edmond Street that didn’t belong to him," police said. "The complainant knew [that the] Edmond Street [address was] unoccupied. The complainant observed the male near the end of his driveway and asked the male what he was doing, to which the male responded that he was looking for a residence. The male then walked across an adjacent property and entered a vehicle on Homestead Road. The vehicle, described as a black Toyota sedan, left the area."

Officers went to the Edmond Street address and found a note on the door instructing FedEx to leave a package on the doorstep, signed by "Wei Zhang," which is not the name of anyone who has lived at the currently vacant home.

The FedEx driver told police that the package had been addressed to that name at the Edmond Street location, but it was against policy for FedEx to leave the package without identification and signature, so it was not delivered.

"As the driver was returning to his truck, a black male approached him and asked him for the package," police continued. "When the FedEx driver asked for identification, the male walked away. It was determined that the box contained an Apple iPhone."