Porch Pirate Gets Rocked By Good Samaritan During Police Chase

A porch pirate in Yonkers, New York found out the hard way that it's not the brightest idea to steal packages from a porch that is equipped with a doorbell camera. Especially in a location that still responds to theft calls, Yonkers apparently is one such location.

The homeowner watched as a man out for a stroll walked up on his porch and stuffed a package into his backpack. The thief then grabbed another delivery from the several that were sitting on the porch before he casually walked away.

Porch pirate caught on camera stealing packages (Image Credit: Yonkers Police Department/Facebook)

The camouflage jacket the porch pirate was wearing did little to keep his theft from being caught on camera. In fact, it helped the homeowner, who promptly called the police, identify the man.

The Yonkers Police Department responded to the call and spotted the man they later identified as 27-year-old Francisco Jose Eder Mateo of the Bronx.

When officers approached Eder Mateo, he took off on foot. Officers gave chase, and after dropping the stolen goods and losing his camouflage jacket, he was finally taken down by a good Samaritan.

The good Samaritan turned out to be a Yonkers public works employee. Surveillance footage shows the public works employee hop out of his car after noticing that the thief had burst through the line and past the linebackers.

Without hesitation he filled the role of the excellent open field tackling safety. The last line of defense after the porch pirate had made a run for it. Eder Mateo was close to breaking it and taking it to the house, but ended up getting rocked and knocked to the ground by the good Samaritan/run stopper.

This Porch Pirate Didn't Get Far Before Being Taken Into Custody

The officers in pursuit were then able to put Eder Mateo in cuffs. According to the Yonkers Police Department, he was charged with fourth-degree grand larceny and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property - both felonies.

The police department issued a message following the arrest to any thieves thinking about targeting Yonkers. It reads, "To any future thieves planning to commit these crimes in Yonkers- pick somewhere else."

"Our residents, Officers, and City employees will not stand by and allow you to victimize people in this City. You will be apprehended and delivered to the court system to answer for your actions."

Take your crime elsewhere, Yonkers isn't the place.