Bedford Police Track Down And Nab 'Porch Pirate'

BEDFORD, NY — Because the crime can occur almost anywhere and during the hours when most of us are at work, the ever-growing problem of unattended package theft is a notoriously difficult issue to police, but investigators in Bedford pulled out all the stops to make an arrest.

On Tuesday, the Bedford Police Department Detective Bureau arrested Eslainy Rodriguez for petit larceny. The 24-year-old Bronx resident is accused of stealing a package from the front of a home in Katonah in October, according to police.

SEE ALSO: Police Will Use Bait Packages With GPS To Track 'Porch Pirates'

Detectives said they pored through home surveillance camera footage and newly installed license plate readers as part of their investigation. Police said they eventually discovered that the package in question was stolen by a sub-contracted delivery driver, who was making an unrelated delivery in the neighborhood.

The Bedford Police Department also offered four simple tips to help homeowners protect their packages from theft:

1. Track your packages and use delivery alerts.
2. Don’t leave your delivered mail and packages unattended.
3. Add delivery instructions to leave it in a specified location.
4. Request a signature at delivery.