TOLEDO, Ohio — In a west Toledo neighborhood off of Sylvania Avenue, residents say their packages are getting stolen and they're catching it on camera.
Two residents gave WTOL 11 video of their packages getting taken but didn't want to give their last names for their safety.
Jill lives in the neighborhood, nearby Drummond Park, and was shocked to see her packages getting stolen when she saw the recording from her doorbell camera.
"He was riding a blue bicycle," she said. "He rode it up, walked up my driveway, tried to conceal his face and then he ran off with (the package)."
Sue, who also lives in the neighborhood, had the same experience. She caught the same porch pirate with her doorbell camera.
Jill and Sue were both surprised the pirate got away with it.
"People were out, it was a nice day," Sue said. "People were doing yard work. I can't believe how often it got away with it that day."
The pirate didn't take anything too valuable from Jill and Sue, but other neighbors are worried it'll happen to them, too, and are taking precautions.
Tiffany Best has two kids with cystic fibrosis. She has to have their medication delivered by mail because it's not available at nearby pharmacies.
"We have a lot of expensive medications delivered and if those get taken, we're kind of screwed," she said. "I'm trying to just get to (my packages) as soon as I can."
Ian Alberts has been in the neighborhood for 12-and-a-half years. He's heard about porch pirates hitting his neighbors before, so he's been taking precautions for some time.
"Our neighbors will text us if they have a package on the porch," he said. "We'll go over and pick it up for them and hold on to it for when they get home."
Jill and Sue plan to let each other know about their packages, too.
The Toledo Police Department said the residents are taking the correct approach.
TPD provided the following tips on how to protect yourself from porch pirates:
"Residents should keep an eye out for anything suspicious in their neighborhood, and report that activity to the police. Work together with your neighbors to look out for one another. If possible, schedule your packages to be dropped off on days that you know that you will be home. "
Neighbors in the west Toledo neighborhood are now on the lookout for the porch pirate and hope police catch him before he steals another package.