WINTER HARBOR HAVEN, Va. — Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd says one porch pirate is "probably going to spend Christmas behind bars" after she was caught stealing Amazon packages.
The package theft was first reported between noon and 12:30 p.m. on Dec. 11 in the Sun Ridge Village subdivision in Winter Haven. A woman was reportedly seen following an Amazon truck and stealing the boxes after they were delivered.
Surveillance video showed the woman walking up to a porch, taking boxes and getting into a red truck.
A crime analyst reviewed the video and identified the woman as 32-year-old Kensley Mott. Just one day later, detectives arrested Mott at her workplace, Hungry Howie's Pizza in the Wahneta area of Winter Haven.
According to the sheriff's office, Mott admitted to stealing the packages with plans to re-gift the items for Christmas. She was booked into the Polk County Jail on charges of grand theft, felony petit theft and burglary of a dwelling.
"It's that time of year when porch pirates are most prevalent. If at all possible, have your packages delivered when someone will be home, to a friend or neighbor's home, or to your place of business," Sheriff Grady Judd said. "If not, invest in a security system that alerts you immediately when someone is on your porch. This prolific thief is probably going to spend Christmas behind bars this year."
According to a Security.org study, approximately 79% of consumers experienced package theft in 2022. Here are some tips for keeping porch pirates at bay.