WILTON MANORS, FLA. (WSVN) - A Wilton Manors homeowner is speaking out after a crook apparently disguised as an Amazon delivery driver was caught on surveillance video pretending to drop off an envelope before taking off with a package, but this theft has an unexpected twist.
At first, the homeowner, who asked not to be identified or show his face on camera, thought the impostor’s actions could have been an error.
“We thought, ‘Oh, this is a mistake. Like, he took it by mistake,'” he said.
However, security footage of the Feb. 22 incident possibly suggests otherwise.
A man seen wearing what appears to be an Amazon vest is seen getting out of a white van and walking to the front door of the home, located near Northeast 20th Street while carrying an envelope.
Moments later, he reaches the front porch, but he does not drop off the envelope. Instead, he is seen walking away with a package that, the homeowner said, had been left by another driver moments earlier.
“He was actually taking away the packages. He was not delivering anything,” said the homeowner.
The homeowner said a FedEx driver had dropped off a box. Moments later, the homeowner’s husband pulled into the home.
“My husband came home; he sees the package at the front door,” he said.
But as he was parking around back, the white van stopped outside the residence.
“The guy has a package in his hands, then he gets down like he’s going to deliver it. He looks through our mailbox, takes a package that’s right there. You’ll see it’s a black and white type of package, I guess I would say,” said the homeowner. “Then he reaches down to the ground and grabs the package that the FedEx truck just delivered.”
The homeowner said his husband took notice.
“My husband comes back around. He sees the package is no longer there,” he said.
The homeowner said his husband checked the doorbell camera video, saw what happened and went around to the front of the home to see if the man and his vehicle were still there, and they were.
“He was able to confront him, ‘Hey, you just took our package. What’s going on?'” said the homeowner. “The guy looked a little dumbfounded that it was really happening.”
The van driver ended up handing the package over.
Now police are wondering if the man was simply following the FedEx truck, looking for an opportunity.
“He had the little scanner. He looked very legit,” said the homeowner. “Even if it’s a dollar or a cent, you never want your package to get stolen.”
Inside the box, the homeowner said, was clothing that he had purchased online.
A spokesperson for Amazon said the van driver captured on the homeowner’s doorbell camera does not match the driver who was working in this area at the time of the incident.
If you have any information on this incident or recognize the van driver, call Wilton Manors Police or Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $3,000 reward.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.