Police Academy Recruits Help Nab Grinchy Porch Pirate Who Stole Children's Christmas Packages: Sheriff

CITY OF POUGHKEEPSIE, NY — In a holiday story with a happy ending, a porch pirate tried to steal Christmas, but found out that he preyed on the wrong house, at the wrong time.

The Dutchess County Sheriff's Office says that Dutchess County Law Enforcement Academy recruits helped in the investigation of a larceny that took place in the City of Poughkeepsie.

On Monday, around 1:45 p.m., recruits who had been conducting a physical fitness test on the North Side Trail "sprang into action" when a local resident alerted them about a package that had just been stolen from her front porch on Parker Avenue.

The victim provided Ring Doorbell video footage of the suspect, who had fled onto the trail where the recruits were conducting their testing.

Recruits alerted Academy staff and together they were able to locate and detain the suspect. The recruits also found evidence of the crime on the trail, which the suspect had tried to dispose of.

The suspect was found to be in possession of stolen property and was turned over to the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department, who then interviewed the victim and handled the investigation.

The Sheriff's Office says that items recovered included stolen Christmas presents for the victim's children that had been sent by a relative. The property was returned to the family.

"Despite being a few months away from their graduation, the Academy recruits showed they are ready to serve the residents in and around Dutchess County," the Sheriff's Office said. "Their fast thinking and actions helped stop a real-life Grinch from spoiling Christmas for a local family."