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Man caught trying to take package from mailbox

From Lisa:

I was sitting in my car down the block from my house (Clay and 29th). A man walking his dog down the street towards me passed my house, grabbed a package out of the mailbox, and kept walking. I immediately got out of my car and confronted him. His response was that he was picking up a package for his friend. I said that it was my house, my mail, my name on the package and we both knew it didn’t belong to his friend. He gave me back the package and kept walking his dog around the corner.

Description of person involved – Hair: Black stocking cap, Top: Orange football jersey (Bengals?), Bottom: Light gray sweatpants, Shoes: Black shoes, Age: Older, Build: Average/Stocky, Race: Black, Sex: Male, Other details: Walking a fawn boxer/pitbull

30 comments

HillerRN 02/19/2017 at 8:20 AM

Great. The description of every single male and dog walking around my streets.

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Andy Barton 02/19/2017 at 8:30 AM

Yeah, never call the police so they can arrest him before he does it again down the next street.

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Lisa Ghidotti 02/19/2017 at 10:59 AM

He would have been long gone before the police showed up, and it’s not like I could prove he wasn’t picking up a package for his friend and was at the wrong house. And I did mention the incident to the police. Maybe you should be a little less sarcastic and a little more appreciative I made an effort to alert the neighborhood and post a photo.

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Michelsha Wallace-Johnson 02/19/2017 at 11:10 AM

Great job Lisa!! Glad you are safe and hopefully the neighbor who’s package you saved was appreciative.

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Lisa Ghidotti 02/19/2017 at 11:17 AM

I saved my own package…business cards for the new job. They were mailed to my house before I could provide an alternative address.

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Michelsha Wallace-Johnson 02/19/2017 at 11:19 AM

Its just crazy to know that someone would steal a package not even knowing what the contents were just because. I remember breaking my sleep just to make sure I was awake when packages were delivered and if I was at work making sure the neighbors kept an eye out. Its sad.

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Leland Höth 02/19/2017 at 11:34 AM

What a scumbag, glad you’re OK

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Neil Thomas 02/19/2017 at 11:59 AM

Calling the police is likely to get him shot. Simply getting called out by a member of the public is more likely to make him not do it again. He’s clearly just trying his luck whenever he sees anything

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Kay9 02/19/2017 at 1:39 PM

Sorry this happened to you, Lisa. I appreciate you letting us know as it serves a constant reminder to take precautions from predatory thieves.

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L 02/19/2017 at 1:44 PM

@Neil Thomas – That’s ridiculous. This sounds like someone who is old enough to know better and someone that should know all the potential consequences of their actions, up to and including getting shot by the police for being an idiot (disproportionate and unfair though that may be). Also, he was notably older – in other words, someone who has probably been doing this shit for years. At best, telling him off ensures he won’t steal from that block anymore – instead he will just go steal somewhere else! Calling the police and attempting to have him arrested is exactly the right thing to do. I could understand just telling him off if he were a kid or a teenager, but you think that’s going to change adult behavior? Really?

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Dubois2 02/19/2017 at 5:27 PM

@#8 the RPD has an excellent record of policing without shooting people. Your comment is uninformed and inflammatory. It simply serves to sow distrust between the police and the people. Does that serve your personal
interests? Or do you just like saying stuff?

We,neighbors, on the other hand, do NOT have an excellent record of just LIVING without shooting each other. Richmond’s murder rate is real.

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Liz 02/19/2017 at 7:59 PM

Neil Thomas what????

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Andy Barton 02/20/2017 at 7:45 AM

You couldn’t prove he was stealing your own package?

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Lisa 02/20/2017 at 9:17 AM

No, I probably couldn’t prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. He had a reasonable sounding story even though we both knew what he was really doing. He handed the package back to me when I confronted him, and even used his phone to “call” his friend and tell him it was the wrong address. Again, he had a reasonable sounding story. And based on some of the judgmental responses I’ve received, I probably won’t be as willing to report to CHPN in the future.

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k 02/20/2017 at 10:01 AM

Way to go gang! You made someone feel uncomfortable when they were just trying to make the neighborhood aware. Great job….

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Dubois2 02/20/2017 at 12:48 PM

Lisa, thanks for posting. Many of us appreciate it.

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L 02/20/2017 at 1:34 PM

@Lisa – my response/ire was not directed at you, but at one of the other posts – I’m sure you did what you thought appropriate under the circumstances and I think we all appreciate you sharing this with the neighborhood!

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Neighbor 02/20/2017 at 1:46 PM

Please don’t let idiots dishearten you, Lisa! Thank you for being brave to say something to him (I know I would think twice! ) and sharing the information. Recently my mother told a young man not to litter in the neighborhood as he threw a can of soda on the ground and he said “what are you going to do about it b****?!” You never know how people, who clearly not know better, will react. sad but true.
Thank you again.
Glad to know as much information as possible in our neigborhood!

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Eric Huffstutler 02/20/2017 at 4:46 PM

I am sorry, in this day and age it pays to be prepared for whatever comes if that may include defending yourself. I am pro gun rights. That said, I would have thought twice chasing him down to avoid confrontation. And what @10 L said above, my first impression I got from the comment was racial profiling. That may not have been what they (L) was intending but again, in this day and age it is easy to pin a label. And unfortunately as we all know, including me, forum posts can easily be misinterpreted and people reading things between the lines that are not there.

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R. 02/20/2017 at 9:07 PM

Don’t listen to the idiots, but also don’t try to be a street judge. Let the officers, CAs, and judges decide a case. He grabbed your package because it was there, not because he made a mistake. If you’re trying to rationalize his actions then consider too that he should have checked the name on the box. Great work with getting out the description and snapping a photo, thanks for keeping us in the know.

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Kay9 02/21/2017 at 8:41 AM

To the residents of 3018 E Broad.- Amazon delivered your empty boxes to the front yard of the church at 32nd and Broad.

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Rob Pate 02/22/2017 at 9:06 AM

Good for you, Lisa- and thanks for posting about it, All most thieves need is to be told to go away by someone who belongs, they know deep down they’re in the wrong. Smart getting a picture to show us too. You would still be waiting for the police to get there.

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frankp 02/22/2017 at 11:27 AM

I had 2 packages stolen off my porch at Broad and 30th on Friday. The empty boxes ended up in the alley between Broad and Marshall st. Anyone have a camera on this area?

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frankp 02/22/2017 at 11:29 AM

Lisa, did you get a picture of the dog by any chance? I recognize dogs more than people. 🙂

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