METUCHEN — In capital letters, Metuchen police wrote “Captured” and “Arrested” above their social media post about an attempted theft of a package off a porch of a borough residence.
A 39-year-old Perth Amboy man, dubbed the “Metuchen Porch Pirate,” was charged with one count of attempted theft and was released after he was given his court date, according to Police Chief David Irizarry.
The incident occurred at a Maple Street residence on Dec. 10 and was captured on a doorbell type video system, police said. Following the incident, the video had been posted on the department’s social media website, which drew more than 64,000 views.
A suspect approached the residence and grabbed a package from the front porch. As he was walking away with the package, the resident saw him and asked what he was doing.
“The surprised suspect then tried to cover his tracks by telling the resident that he was out checking on his drivers to make sure they are delivering the packages to the right location,” Irizarry said. “He then returned the package and briskly walked away from the residence and fled the area in a silver Mercedes sedan. Fortunately, the resident immediately realized it was a cover up and notified authorities.”
An investigation by Metuchen police officers led to charging the suspect after police seized evidence linking him to the crime, Irizarry said.
Detectives believe the suspect may be responsible for additional package thefts throughout the state. Anyone who has any information regarding this investigation is asked to call Detective Joseph Keane at 732-632-8501.