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Man Sets Out Trap For Amazon Package Thief, Gets Him Arrested
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Man Sets Out Trap For Amazon Package Thief, Gets Him Arrested

Man Sets Out Trap For Amazon Package Thief, Gets Him Arrested“More Of This”: New Yorkers Applaud Man Who Caught Amazon Package Thief With Clever TrapNew Yorkers Applaud Man For Getting Amazon Package Thief Arrested By Setting Clever TrapMan Has Neighborhood Thief Arrested After Setting Up Trap Of Fake Packages To Arrest HimMan Sets A Trap For Amazon Package Thief, Catches Him Red-HandedMan Catches Package Thief Red-Handed In Viral Video, Turns Him Over To CopsNew Yorkers Call Man “Hero” After He Catches Package Thief Red-Handed With Clever RuseMan Praised For Setting Up Fake Packages That Neighborhood Thief Fell For, Turns Him Over To CopsMan Catches Package Thief Red-Handed In Viral Video, Gets Him Arrested “Get On Your Knees”: Man Catches Package Thief Red-Handed In Viral Video
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A New Yorker turned the tables on a porch pirate and managed to catch the thief red-handed before turning him over to the police.

The Queens homeowner, named Carlos Mejia, was fed up with having his parcels stolen, so he undertook a thief-catching scheme that can only be described as quintessentially ‘New York.’

Carlos deployed a clever ruse by leaving decoy packages at his doorstep. The fake packages were meant to act as a booby trap for the porch pirates. Now, this may seem like simple bait, which makes one wonder whether a seasoned thief would actually fall for it. But sure enough, a thief took the bait and proved that, sometimes, the simplest traps can catch the biggest fish—or, in this case, the greediest porch pirates!

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    Carlos Mejia, a homeowner in Queens, was fed up with seeing delivery packages in his neighborhood being stolen

    Image credits: lossmokes1

    In a viral TikTok video that garnered more than 800,000 views, social media users saw Carlos’ strategy pay off, as the footage captured the thief falling for the fake parcel trap.

    “Finally got a thief with decoy boxes,” read the text on the video.

    The video showcased the alleged thief, later identified as 30-year-old Victor Stazzone, sneaking into Carlos’ yard and attempting to pilfer a box.

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    Victor then tried to stash the box in his backpack, not expecting the homeowner to emerge from inside the house in the nick of time. Carlos was captured ambushing the thief and confronting him in the unexpected encounter.

    Carlos placed fake packages at his doorstep in the hope of catching a thief red-handed

    Image credits: lossmokes1

    “Oh, s–t, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo. I just didn’t want nobody to take him, bro!” the suspect cried out as Carlos grabbed him with a baseball bat in hand.

    “Yo, I just didn’t want nobody to take them, bro,” Victor claimed as he tried to plead with Carlos.

    “What you got in there?” the enraged homeowner asked, to which the suspected thief replied, “Nothing, man.”

    Victor eventually said, “You can have everything, bro.”

    The alleged thief claimed over and over again that he lived on the corner.

    A suspect, later identified as Victor Stazzone, was captured sneaking into Carlos’ yard and falling for the bait

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    Image credits: lossmokes1

    “Yo, I’m not– yo! I live right there, bro,” Victor said, but Carlos was not having any of it.

    “Get on your knees. Get on your knees right now,” Carlos ordered.

    The alleged thief pleaded for mercy, hoping Carlos would let him go. But the homeowner held Victor on the spot until the police arrived.

    Clips that were uploaded later on TikTok showed Victor surrounded by cops, with one of the videos declaring: “Arrested.”

    Carlos held the alleged suspect down until the cops arrived and arrested him

    @lossmokes1Caught thief♬ original sound – Losmej31

    One of the clips also captured Victor trying to escape but being dragged back.

    Following his arrest, Victor faced charges of petit larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, and criminal trespassing. His arrest was further dramatized after the accused thief claimed he needed an ambulance because his hand needed medical attention.

    “Officer, what am I being arrested for?” Victor was quoted asking a cop as he lay face down on the ground while being handcuffed.

    Later, another video on TikTok revealed that Carlos’ decoy packages contained nothing more than old French fries and a warning note to potential thieves, highlighting the homeowner’s frustration and determination to deter the porch pirates from swiping packages in the neighborhood.

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    A TikTok video captured Victor being surrounded by cops while the text on the clip said, “ARRESTED”

    Image credits: lossmokes1

    “Keep stealing our s–t and you wont [sic] make the next year b–ch a– f–king c–t!!” read Carlos’ message.

    Carlos opened up about the incident in an interview with Storyful after capturing the thief. The New Yorker said he was “done” with parcel thieves in the neighborhood and decided to take matters into his own hands by placing “decoy packages” at his doorstep.

    “Plenty” of his neighbors were “tired of people just following the UPS, FedEx, USPS deliveries and taking everything we work hard for. I was just trying to make an example for those out there doing the same thing … stealing from others,” Carlos told the outlet.

    While speaking about his successful attempt at nabbing the thief, Carlos said, “I was just trying to make an example for those out there doing the same thing … stealing from others.”

    The New York Police Department (NYPD) confirmed in a statement to Storyful that Victor was arrested on March 30.

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    “The report states that an individual did remove a box from the premise without permission or authority,” NYPD said in a statement to the outlet.

    Carlos said he was “trying to make an example for those out there” when he set up the booby trap at his doorstep

    @lossmokes1♬ K DOT LIKE THAT – Stank Music

    The incident not only underscored the growing issue of parcel theft but also showcased the lengths individuals will go to protect their property and the items bought online with their hard-earned money.

    Carlos’ viral video of the thief being caught red-handed garnered more than 66.4K likes and more than 1,600 comments, with most people lauding the homeowner for taking matters into his own hands and keeping at least one porch pirate out of the neighborhood.

    The incident ended without anyone getting hurt; however, it could have taken an ugly turn if the suspect had been armed or turned aggressive in the tussle with Carlos. Authorities always advise against civilians taking such risks and engaging with suspected criminals.

    Fans praised Carlos for the simple yet effective trap that the alleged suspect fell for

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    Binitha Jacob

    Binitha Jacob

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    Working as a writer for Bored Panda offers an added layer of excitement. By afternoon, I'm fully immersed in the whirlwind of celebrity drama, and by evening, I'm navigating through the bustling universe of likes, shares, and clicks. This role not only allows me to delve into the fascinating world of pop culture but also lets me do what I love: weave words together and tell other people's captivating stories to the world

    Read less »
    Binitha Jacob

    Binitha Jacob

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Working as a writer for Bored Panda offers an added layer of excitement. By afternoon, I'm fully immersed in the whirlwind of celebrity drama, and by evening, I'm navigating through the bustling universe of likes, shares, and clicks. This role not only allows me to delve into the fascinating world of pop culture but also lets me do what I love: weave words together and tell other people's captivating stories to the world

    Karina Babenok

    Karina Babenok

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    As a visual editor in the News team, I look for the most interesting pictures and comments to make each post interesting and informative through images, so that you aren't reading only blocks of text. I joined Bored Panda not that long ago, but in this short amount of time I have covered a wide range of topics: from true crime to Taylor Swift memes (my search history is very questionable because of that).In my freetime, I enjoy spending time at the gym, gaming, binging Great British Bake Off and adding yet another tattoo artist that I would love to get a tattoo from to my pinterest board.

    Read less »

    Karina Babenok

    Karina Babenok

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    As a visual editor in the News team, I look for the most interesting pictures and comments to make each post interesting and informative through images, so that you aren't reading only blocks of text. I joined Bored Panda not that long ago, but in this short amount of time I have covered a wide range of topics: from true crime to Taylor Swift memes (my search history is very questionable because of that).In my freetime, I enjoy spending time at the gym, gaming, binging Great British Bake Off and adding yet another tattoo artist that I would love to get a tattoo from to my pinterest board.

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    Justin Tyme
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm old enough to remember when you would have been able to swing the bat and then drag the thief off your property.

    T'Mar of Vulcan
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In South Africa packages will never just be left out. If a delivery comes they will ring the bell or call you, and if you're not home they'll come back when you are. Nobody has used the post office for many years (due to theft) and the post office in RSA has now closed down! Can't say I'm surprised.

    Adrian
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I like the videos where they set up boxes with cameras that explode glitter and perfume, LOL!

    Load More Comments
    Justin Tyme
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm old enough to remember when you would have been able to swing the bat and then drag the thief off your property.

    T'Mar of Vulcan
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In South Africa packages will never just be left out. If a delivery comes they will ring the bell or call you, and if you're not home they'll come back when you are. Nobody has used the post office for many years (due to theft) and the post office in RSA has now closed down! Can't say I'm surprised.

    Adrian
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I like the videos where they set up boxes with cameras that explode glitter and perfume, LOL!

    Load More Comments
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