Skateboarding Package Thief Arrested
A man linked to several thefts from the front porches of area homes has been arrested.
The suspect, identified as Christian Sierra, who has confessed to at least three separate thefts and sometimes made his getaway by skateboard, was arrested on Friday night — sources at the 70th Precinct and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said.
The investigation leading to the arrest was a joint effort between the 70th Precinct and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Area residents have been reporting the theft of packages left on their front porches for weeks.
On Tuesday, March 29th, neighbors on East 18th Street, between Foster Avenue and Glenwood Road, reported the theft of a package off their front porch in broad daylight.
It is believed that the same thief stole a 30-pound package from the front porch of a home on Buckingham Road, just off Church Avenue, on April 8th. On April 12th, he attempted to steal a package from a home on East 17th Street but was thwarted by a passerby.
On Thursday, April 14th, the thief struck again — stealing a large package (a new rug) from the front porch of a home on Marlborough Road. This time, he did not get away by skateboard, but sources at the 70th Precinct said that it was the same individual.
The break in the case occurred after a 70th Precinct neighborhood coordinating officer (NCO) obtained a description of the thief from a community member. With that description, and video footage of some of the thefts, detectives at the 70th Precinct were able to identify the thief as an area resident, Sierra, who was also being sought in an un-related police matter, sources said.
Cops located Sierra’s Facebook page, which showed images of his skateboard, sources said. His description was given to officers who went to his home and were “looking for him every day.”
Sierra was spotted on Cortelyou Road and East 21st Street on Friday night and arrested at 11:45pm for criminal contempt in a matter not related to the package thefts. Once in custody, he confessed to at least three of the package thefts, and was eventually charged with four petit larcenies, the NYPD said.
We have not been able to confirm whether Sierra has been arraigned yet. “We are looking for high bail,” police sources told us this weekend.
