LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Lone Mountain area of the northwest valley is described as quiet, safe and family-oriented— but this past weekend, it became the scene of package theft.
John Knipp was eating dinner with his wife Sunday night when he saw a car pull up to his neighbor's house.
I saw a female exit the car and run up to my neighbors house, grab their package, get back in and then jet up the hill.
Watch: Ring doorbell camera footage shows a person stealing a package from someone's porch in the northwest valley
John didn't just sit and watch, though.
“I started taking pictures as they drove by, I couldn’t chase them down too far cause I was in my socks, I didn’t have my shoes on. I tried to chase them down to the gate," Knipp said. "So I sprinted as fast as I could, just kind of right down here."
He didn't catch up to the car and never saw why they took the packages. He did get pictures of the vehicle, which he described as a silver, slightly green Mercedes with half its license plate blocked off.
Knipp said his neighbor did not approve the package pick-up and filed a police report. He wanted to do even more to see if anyone else was in the same position, so he started a thread on the Nextdoor app sharing all of his pictures.
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“In a few minutes, I had 10 responses, and then within 20 minutes, I had another 10 responses, and then ultimately, over the course of 48 hours, I had 50-100 responses," Knipp said.
At least 40 people claimed their packages were stolen in the northwest valley alone this holiday season, including areas like Lone Mountain, Majestic Park and Desert Shores.
He said at least 10 claimed they saw the same vehicle as part of the theft. Knipp said he notified police of the vehicle.
Police said while apps like Nextdoor are helpful, they need your help to gather all the details.
Metro Police said there are several ways to file a police report. You can file online here or in-person at an area command center or through the main office.
Police said that according to the information they had at the area command in December, only two reports had been filed for package theft and petit larceny.
They said the best way to help catch any thieves is to notify police. The more reports they have, the closer officers can find a pattern and eventually the thief.
What can you do if you are expecting porch pirates
Police said there are several things you can do to help protect yourself:
- Use home surveillance cameras
- Esing P.O. boxes or Amazon lockers for delivery
- Require signatures during dropoffs
Channel 13 will continue to follow any new developments regarding package theft in our community.
