2 Porch Pirates In Middletown Twp. Caught In Act

MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP, PA —Two porch pirates who swiped phone packages while using a vehicle to do these crimes in the Philadelphia region have been arrested after being caught during one attempted robbery.

The Middletown Township Police Department said received information from AT&T regarding several Apple products that were being shipped to township addresses on Thursday.

Police said several detectives conducted surveillance on these properties, as tracking numbers had been provided by AT&T.

One of these properties, 172 Bateman Rd, had an iPhone 16 Pro delivered at 1:03 p.m. Thursday.

Minutes later, detectives spotted a Honda pull up to the residence with the rear driver-side passenger exiting, proceeding to the porch, and removing the package.

The vehicle was immediately stopped by police.

The passenger was identified as Elvi Duran Vargas and the vehicle owner/driver was identified as Elias Gomez-Rodriguez. Police did not state where the two suspects lived.

Several iPhone boxes were observed in the vehicle in plain view, police said.

The cell phones of Rodriguez and Vargas were both seized and search warrants will be obtained in the following week. The vehicle was also impounded and a search warrant will be obtained next week, police said.

A check of area license plate readers showed the vehicle was active in the Hatboro/Willow Grove area just before being in Langhorne, police said.

Rodriguez was interviewed and stated that Vargas was being provided with tracking numbers and addresses by an unknown subject. Vargas declined to be interviewed without an attorney, police said.