Police Double as Santas in Columbia: ICYMI

COLUMBIA, MD — The Howard County Police Department returned 77 packages swiped by "porch pirates" this month from Columbia residences.

A resident in the area of Greystone Lane alerted authorities that a suspicious box truck was going around the neighborhood picking up boxes from people's homes on Dec. 7. In less than a minute, a community resource officer was at the scene, and two others arrived soon after.

Police said they stopped the truck, which had 77 packages inside as well as a pair of suspected "porch pirates."

Two Baltimore men — Amjad Jaouni, 28, of the 1600 block of West Lombard Street, and Ernest Ohanyan, 25, of the 2900 block of Marnat Road — were charged with three counts of theft.

A total of 51 families were affected by the theft of packages from their doorsteps, Police Chief Gary Gardner said. In the two days after the thefts, police officers reportedly returned all of the items.

"We decided that in an effort to deliver great customer service to our community that we would actually complete the transaction and make the deliveries," Gardiner said: "...and hopefully bring a little holiday cheer to the community."

Related: Columbia 'Porch Pirates' Busted with 77 Packages

Photos courtesy of the Howard County Police Department.