Porch pirate caught on video hanging flyers, taking package from Cypress home

Just seconds after the suspect hangs a flyer on the door handle of northwest Harris Co. home, he spots a package on the ground, slides it with his foot and grabs it.

CYPRESS, Texas — The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help locating a porch pirate who allegedly stole a package from a Cypress home while on the clock for a flyer-hanging company.

In Ring doorbell video obtained by KHOU 11 News, a man in a black backpack can be seen hanging a flyer on the door handle of a home in the Coles Crossing neighborhood. Seconds later, he spots a package on the ground and slides it with his foot before he grabs it and leaves.

The homeowner who shared the video did not want to be identified. She explained that the item taken was not expensive, but the incident still impacted her peace of mind.

“I thought that was pretty brazen,” she said “It’s not life-altering however that doesn’t change the fact that he chose to steal off my porch. He took a package with my name and my address and walked away."

The homeowner said she later filed a report with the sheriff's office and posted her video on the Nextdoor app. Another neighbor on the platform shared a video of the same suspect hanging a flyer at their home before he kicked around a package before walking away.

Both of those incidents happened on June 15. Since then, the homeowner whose package was taken said she’s tried to find the person who did it.

“Do I expect a handwritten note like 'I’m so sorry,' no, but just be a good citizen,” she said. "

In an attempt to find the suspect, the homeowner said she first called the pressure washing business listed on the flyer but was told by the "very apologetic owner" that he outsourced his flyer services to a third-party distribution company.

When she called the distribution company, FLYER4U, a man on the phone would not confirm if the alleged package thief was his employee.

“He was very defensive and told me he checks his employees and drives them to the different neighborhoods,” she explained. “He said they don’t wear backpacks, and they know that everyone in your neighborhood has a ring camera, so why would they do that.”

When we called FLYERF4U Thursday evening, the man who answered said the suspect in the video was an “independent worker” or day laborer who was picked up at a hardware store. Allegedly, he thought the package was trash.

“I asked him and he said yeah I picked up the package because he thought it was too far away from the door, so he thought it was just something that needed to be thrown away,” he said.

As of Thursday, the case was assigned to the HCSO burglary and theft unit, according to sheriff’s office officials. Anyone with information about the suspect’s identity is encouraged to call the sheriff’s office at 713-221-6000.

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