Lakewood and Westlake Police Investigate Series of Porch Cell Phone Thefts
Residents on Cleveland’s west side are increasingly falling victim to “porch pirates” who are stealing cell phones from their porches. Authorities suspect these thefts may be linked, as multiple incidents have been reported in Lakewood and Westlake.
“I feel violated,” expressed Jacky Uljanic, a theft victim from Lakewood. “This is our property. There’s a lot of hassle that goes into trying to recover the loss.”
Thieves have been caught on surveillance cameras swiping packages almost immediately after delivery. Uljanic recounted her experience: “The delivery came at about 10:28 on our ring camera, and within 20 minutes, it was stolen off our porch.” She was expecting a package from AT&T, which contained one of the newest Google Pixel phones.
In Lakewood alone, there have been at least four reported cell phone thefts. Uljanic’s phone was taken on Wednesday by an individual wearing a mask. “This is an invasion of your property,” she remarked. “You expect packages to arrive safely at your home. It’s appalling that someone would hide their face, knowing a camera is there, and continue these crimes for months.”
Westlake police have reported at least three similar thefts recently. In one instance, a man stole an iPhone just 15 minutes after it was delivered. Uljanic noted, “It really takes a lot of guts, and they’ve gotten away with it for so long. Why should they hide when nobody seems to have caught them yet?”
One thief was spotted wearing an Amazon vest, but police have not confirmed if he is actually employed by the company. A warrant has been issued for his arrest. In another surveillance video, this same individual can be seen stealing an iPhone off a porch in Lakewood. Detectives believe he, along with other accomplices, is responsible for several of these thefts.
All reported incidents involve cell phones stolen just minutes after delivery, predominantly from FedEx. Uljanic commented on the unusual timing, stating, “They know what’s in the packages. I don’t know exactly how they know, but it seems very coincidental that FedEx is always the carrier, and it’s always AT&T packages.”
To combat these thefts, Lakewood police recommend purchasing cell phones in person. They are investigating the possibility that individuals working for FedEx or the cell phone companies may be sharing tracking information with criminals.
Uljanic expressed frustration with the response from major corporations: “It’s a lot of hours spent trying to contact AT&T and FedEx. After all this time, it’s surprising that neither company seems to care or take action. They didn’t even want to see the police report or the video footage.”
19 News reached out to AT&T and FedEx for comment. An AT&T spokesperson provided a statement,
“Parcel theft is a concern across many businesses, and it is something we take seriously. Like others in our industry, we ship tens of thousands of packages a day without incident. From time-to-time, we must contend with bad actors who interfere and, when that happens, we work quickly to resolve these issues for our customers.”
FedEx issued the following:
“The security of our customers’ shipments is our top priority. We regularly work with law enforcement on security matters, and we encourage any customer who believes a shipment has been stolen to immediately contact police. Additionally, FedEx offers customers innovative visibility technologies to give our customers added peace of mind when it comes to the reliable delivery of their packages. Tools such asFedEx Delivery Manager,Estimated Delivery Time Window,and the FedEx mobile app offer customers more control over the timing and location of their deliveries.”
They utilize multiple delivery companies for shipping their products.
If you have been a victim of similar crimes or have information regarding these incidents, please contact the detectives in your city.
