Stolen packages, drugs found in suspected 'porch pirate's' apartment, police say
Police to porch pirates: Think twice this holiday season
It's the time of year when package deliveries start to ramp up and with more packages comes more porch pirates too. Now one of those suspected thieves is behind bars in Gwinnett County.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A suspected "porch pirate" is now facing multiple charges after his arrest in Gwinnett County, police say.
Officials say on Nov. 26, officers were following up on multiple complaints that someone had been stealing packages from an apartment building on Laurel Crossing Parkway.
Using surveillance video, investigators say they identified the man taking packages from the mail room of the building as 36-year-old Kyle Thomas Witzel, a resident of the complex.
After arresting Witzel, officials say they found multiple stolen packages and a large amount of marijuana and steroids when searching his apartment.
"We have no information to suggest that these items, the anabolic steroids or the drugs, came from a package," Cpl. Juan Madiedo with the Gwinnett County Police Department clarified. "They rather were just in the apartment."
Kyle Thomas Witzel (Gwinnett County Police Department)
Witzel is in custody at the Gwinnett County Jail charged with three counts of theft by taking, porch piracy, possession of a Schedule III controlled substance, possession of drug-related objects, and possession of marijuana more than 1 ounce. Additional charges may be coming, depending on the investigation.
Package thefts often increase during the holiday season. According to the research group Security.org, over 10 million Americans have had packages stolen in the last three months. Police say digital evidence is key to finding the people responsible.
"We have a lot of technology. We have cameras around the county that we can tap into. We have a lot of ring doorbells that we can tap into as well," Madiedo said.
There are also steps residents can take to keep their packages safe.
"Make sure you track it. When it says delivered, if you didn't get it, you didn't receive it, follow a claim with the provider, but also a police report," Madiedo added.
If you have any information that could help with the case, call detectives at (770) 513-5300 or Crime Stoppers at (404) 577-8477.