Security camera captures man taking package

Geeky Swedes Ballard

Updated: Six months ago, a Ballard resident videotaped a woman on camera taking a package from his front porch. Now he says it’s happened again.

“Our USPS mail carrier delivered the package at 12:34 PM on 7/28, and the theft occurred at 1:36 PM. We’re not yet sure what the package contained as it was a gift,” the man writes, posting a link to the video in the forum. The homeowner filed a report with Seattle Police and has given them copies of the video.

He installed the motion-sensing camera last summer after he said he was burglarized earlier that year. (We obscured the man’s identity because he’s not been charged with any crime.)

Geeky Swedes

The founders of My Ballard

100 thoughts to “Security camera captures man taking package”

  1. This crap pisses me off. Can someone with more computer skill than I freeze the most visible image of his face and put in on flyers all over town?

    Lets Scarlett letter this scum.

  2. Best solution? Fill a box with packing peanuts, buy three RAT traps (the really big ones that will break fingers), cock them, hide them in the peanuts and leave the box on your door step.

  5. Shouldn’t the mail carriers (and UPS and FEDEX) be required to leave packages in places that are not immediately visible to everyone who walks or drives by a house?? I understand that some people will still try to steal mail and packages, but could we at least make it not quite as easy?

    I know this dude could have been following a mail truck, but he also could have just been walking/driving by…. and that package was hanging out there like a flag.

  6. What kind of a camera is that? It sure takes nice clear pictures. Banks and convenience stores could use them if they actually want to ID robbers better.

    I use delivery remarks to place the package at the back of the carport, but it usually gets ignored. USPS is better than UPS in Seattle.

  7. I agree with Maker! That said, this guy is a jerk and I have posted a link to the video on my Facebook page in the hopes that someone will recognize him. He’s so ‘nicely dressed’. The last perp was wearing all black and trying to be sneaky. This guy is bold!

  8. Of course I am not defending him but didn’t this blog just remove, censor, and close forum threads about that woman who tried to adopt someones cat?

    Such a double standard. It seems criminal accusations can be discussed after all, if the accused isn’t friendly with the GeekySwedes.

    There is only side of the story being “reported” here. Maybe it was his package. Maybe this is some sort of smear.

    So can we all just send in videos of people we don’t like, call them criminals, and get them posted here?

  10. Instead of investing in a security camera, why doesn’t the homeowner go down to Builder’s Hardware and buy a locking mailbox for $120? Just a thought …

  11. Right, because going to someone else’s door and removing a package from their address is sooo much like adopting a wandering animal. Why don’t you stroll down to Market St, withdraw all your cash and hand it out to panhandlers? It would make as much sense as your ridiculous bickering.

  12. Double-standard or not, it is completely irresponsible of the GeekySwedes to post this video and shows an appalling ignorance or contempt for even the most fundamental standards of journalism.

    This was not released by a police department. This is one neighbor making unfounded accusations against an unidentified man.

    And we’ve already got one poster here (Bark) suggesting violent retribution.

    Shameful and embarrassing for the GeekySwedes.

  14. So Swedes,

    Are we allowed to discuss this alleged crime on the Forum?

    Or are the rules for the home page story comments and Forum comments different?

    Please respond (and not by deleting my comment).

  17. Taxpayer – accusing the GS of practicing journalism is SLANDER. You are in violation of the rule now too. Actually, so am I for accusing you of slander. I’m also in violation for accusing myself of accusing you.

  19. WildernessBarbie of all people printing up flyers with this guy on it is priceless.

    The GeekySwedes must be so proud given the way they sheltered her from criticism while posting this guy’s picture on the front page with no substantiation.

  22. No, the guy who took the package was just trying to find the package’s owner. But if can’t find the owner he will keep the package. After all, he paid to pick it up!

  23. “Interesting form of bitterness forming here….”

    Never underestimate the Seattle liberal’s ability to find negativity within any situation, latch on, and perpetuate the downward spiral. Seems to be the way they achieve inner satisfaction. Misery loves company.

  24. I am more curious to identify the homeowner, not the guy!!

    – Red house
    – White trim
    – Black door
    – 3 part single pane bay windows to left
    – Tall two pane window to the right
    – Simple shades lowered from the top
    – 3 or 4 steps
    – Small covered porch with small white Adirondack chair
    – Light yellow house with a similar porch next door
    – Unpaved driveway or alley between the houses

    WHERE IS THIS?

  25. What do liberals have to do with WildernessBarbie allegedly stealing a cat?

    The thief here looks solidly industrial Ballard. A real Seafoodfest and Blue Angels type.

  26. ” A real Seafoodfest and Blue Angels type.”

    Unlike you, those people have good jobs, so don’t need to steal or get on welfare.

  28. Thanks for the comments, everyone. Here’s an update:

    – I filed a police report this morning. The officer has two printouts from the video and said he’ll pass on the CD containing the video to the detectives.

    – I sent the video around my office, and someone identified the logo on the hat. It appears to be similar to this one:
    http://freshfitteds.com/wp-content/uploads/HLIC/fbd3ae3985c7d090876d49a8cd26f13d.jpg

    – This was a US Postal Service delivery, and we think is was a gift. I’m not sure why our mail carrier didn’t try to do a better job of concealing the package, but the suggestion regarding a better mailbox seems like a good one.

    – Please, I don’t want our home’s location to be published.

  29. Great, someone robs you and all the bike nazis and Blue Angels bed-wetters defend the crook and want to out the victim.

    You people are truly the worst kinds of neighbors. **** *** to the Rainier Valley and get mugged why don’t you.

  30. How would this be any different if the GS posted a video from 7-11 of a guy walking into a store and grabbing money out of the register? Because it’s a personal residence? So? Even more creepy.

    Wouldn’t that also be news? Wouldn’t you want to help identify someone capable of doing that? If you care about your community, of course!

    Are people really trying to say that this person didn’t take a package that didn’t belong to him? That the home owners posted a video of themselves taking their own package of the porch and leaving with it? Of course not. Anything else is theft.

    Unfounded-“baseless: without a basis in reason or fact.” I think that video seems to represent the facts fairly well, unless you’re having some weird paranoid delusion that this is all faked for some bizarre reason, and in that case you can’t be reasoned with.

  31. I find myself using the same logic as Wilderness Barbie. Are people really accusing the homeowner of making a false accusation and taking their own package – for what purpose? It seems a little ridiculous. I would want neighbors to know and to help me out.

  32. WildernessBarbie, you are the person who can’t be reasoned with. Let’s not forget about that cat you “adopted” and were forced to give back by the cops.

  33. yep, pretty funny appearance by Wb here…she’ll probably cry and get all the comments deleted.

    she likes to think she can dish it out but she definately can’t take it.

  34. This has NWO written all over it.

    A levitating package, simply ‘removed” by a master of disguise (man of a thousand faces? eh?)

    And there just “happens” to be a crystal clear video of the “so called event”?

    Did you know the Census workers are GPS’ing our front doors, and now, with that targeted front door coordinates a package (or alleged package) just vanishes? THINK people, think.

    WAKE UP People! I’m putting tin foil over my door, that way the coords for the GPS will bounce around and they won’t target it.

  35. This video does not show a crime.

    It shows a man walking up a porch and taking a package off the porch.

    The “crime” is based on assertions made by “seattle vimeo user.”

    For all we know, that’s “seattle vimeo user” in the video.

    Innocent until proven guilty, is all we’re saying.

  36. that’s hilarious WB! you can see black and white in this case, but you felt no remorse for taking a cat that you knew had an owner and having surgery performed on it? you’re a real piece of work. (Can’t wait for you to have these comments deleted.)

  37. I’m sure this guy just felt that he could give this package a better home. After all, it’s just sitting outside unattended!! Clearly the owner is a monster. It’s justified, I say!!!

  38. Pho- Officer Pine at the North Seattle precinct has kindly offered to answer your questions in that matter, and will be happy to inform you that I legally adopted a cat that was left for the owners to pick up at the shelter for 6 days, and then agreed to give it back after the owners finally came up with the adoption/chip/license fees we paid. If you don’t believe me, again, you’re welcome to call him for clarification, he was the responding officer.

    Or you can chose to continue to be snarky and disruptive hiding behind your anonymity. Your choice.

  40. Wow talk about revisionist history. We were all there, Barbie. The threads and your own comments about keeping the cat contradict you.

    You can ask the GeekySwedes to delete this comment, I guess. Would not want to sully your reputation as the neighborhood goody goody.

  41. I don’t know what all this drama is about cat adoption, but…

    You guys are fucking stupid. Too fucking stupid for even the Internet. This is obviously some shady dick stealing a package from a porch. Case solved.

    I like the mousetrap idea. I hope they catch this jerk.

  43. I think there is nothing wrong with this posting. MyBallard is reporting what someone told them, and not themselves saying that this guy committed a crime.

    Newspapers and TV stations do the same thing everyday when they air/print accounts from eyewitnesses.

    That is some great video ID of that person. Curious if they handed the video over to the police, and if the police cared. The guy may have left prints on the handrail.

  44. The GeekySwedes just edited the post!!

    Five hours later, and with no acknowledgment of the change.

    Wow, classy!

    IF YOU ARE GOING TO REVISE THE POST AFTER PEOPLE HAVE COMMENTED, AT LEAST HAVE THE DECENCY TO MAKE A NOTE OF IT.

    The edit was in response to my comment!!

    They had called the homeowner a “victim.” And now the call him “man.”

    No need to thank me, Swedes!

    Score one for the “bike nazi Blue Angel bed wetters crowd.”

  46. oh come on, barbie. Stop changing your story again.

    The owners told you to take the cat to their home, because they were out of town for the July 4th Holiday. Instead, you worked with your friends at the animal shelter (you know, the ones you’ve worked with before) to adopt the cat as quickly as possible. Their rules exist in cases where there isn’t a clear demonstration of ownership that you ignored. Stop acting like you did what’s right considering it took police intervention to get you to do the right thing in the end.

  47. They remind us on every single page…

    “My Ballard is part of the Next Door Media™ neighborhood network, a Ballard startup that won a national Online Journalism Award.”

    Swedes, any comment on changing “victim” to “man”?

    It is standard practice to note substantive changes to news articles after they are published, particularly on blogs.

    I know I’m not WildernessBarbie who gets special treatment, but at least giving me an answer would be nice.

  49. and if the rightful owner shows up to speak his side, the subject will be entirely taken off the table. that’s how it works, right? :-P

  50. We just finished posting an update to the story, including word that the homeowner has filed a police report and an officer has taken copies of the video to investigators, as well as a note to reinforce that we blurred the man’s identity, because he’s not been charged of any crime.

    Yes, we added an “update” tag and added this comment, as well, to be clear.

  55. Well the most important change you made was to stop calling the homeowner a “victim.”

    Nice job. First you made the change without marking it as an update, and then when “high frequency” posters pointed it out, you still did not acknowledge the change or point it out…. just try to distract by talking about the police report.

    Shoddy journalism.

  57. UPS is horrible here. They supposedly delivered something to my building from JC Penney, but the time listed on the delivery there was no UPS driver at my building. There was somebody in the lobby reading for 2 hours when that happened. UPS is a joke. use Fed Ex or the USPS

  58. This has to be on the best moments of the year on the forum. I could not have asked for a more perfect set of circumstances. once a thief, always a thief. The package guy must be stopped!

  59. Pho,

    So a homeowner who had a package (private property) stolen from their front porch (also private property) – which, despite your ridiculous skepticism is confirmed by a police report – shouldn't be called a “victim” ?

    Please explain what word you would rather use to describe a person who has had their private property trespassed upon and their private property stolen.

  60. Pho,

    For someone who seems to have nothing but contempt for and complaints about this web site, you sure do read and post on it a lot.

  61. This whole discussion is so pathetic. I don't think I'll be wasting my time logging into this site anymore. You've all gone the way of grocery store tabloids, and it makes me sick.

  62. Hi there. I posted a link to your video on my Facebook page and have a lot of people on your side wanting to help identify the 'man'. I also had a lot of people mention that this has happened to them and for me to ask you if you can let them know what kind of security camera you have so that they may get the same kind. It is so high quality. Thanks in advance for the info.

  63. All of the identity obscuring in the world won't keep me from recognizing that ill-fitting plaid shirt from a mile away. Beware, box snatcher!

  66. wow, the comments section have sunk to a new low. if y'all hate the geeky swedes and myballard why are you spending time on here? Go away then. Go away.

  69. The man in the video was tracking his package – When he saw that it had been “delivered” – he did what he probably has to do several times a week – Check the neighbor's box to retrieve his mis delivered mail.

  70. “They remind us on every single page…

    “My Ballard is part of the Next Door Media™ neighborhood network, a Ballard startup that won a national Online Journalism Award.””

    And that bothers you why?

  71. “We obscured the man’s identity because he’s not been charged with any crime”
    So he's not charged with a crime, only accused of a crime. Either we can accuse people of crimes or we can wait until someone is convicted to report the story. When it's not consistent, it gives the appearance that the authors are being biased.

  72. Just because it is possible to committ a crime doesn't make it right. The package wasn't just “hanging out” it was in the home owner's mail box, off the street, up a few stairs, on a porch. The thief committed a federal crime.

    No one is “asking for it”.

  73. wow kind of a crazy thread. I think I might be the supreme nit-picking critic of everything here and even I'm surprised about the outrage at the omission of the word “alleged” in the story. And alleged is even implied in the attribution of the story.

    Stuff like this is reported thousands of times a day by major news networks. Do some of you people know this guy and want to protect him? Did you just finish journalism 101 at NSCC and feel like trotting out your little bit of knowledge? If you are such flawless journalists start your own news site why don'cha?

  74. maybe because they suck at journalism?

    this post was up all day before they decided to obscure his face, edit the post, stop calling the home owner a victim all without explaining what they changed.

    pho is a hero and the geekyswedes are just sucky

  75. There is no crime here. The person in the video isn't a person at all, but a ghost from the future who flew in on a UFO to prevent the end of the world by taking that package sent by the dark lord Qxtclalkghakjlghsdfgh that would have destroyed the world if opened…all hail Zarkon!
    In case you didn't get it by now “Taxpayer”, I'm making fun of you and your misplaced assumption of innocence.

  76. The homeowner would recognize their neighbors.
    Why are people so intent on coming up with the most outlandish stories despite the most simple one being the most obviously true? Not everything is a conspiracy.

  77. Man, some seriously idiotic people posting on this board……………..The person was only grabbing his own package from somebody else's porch, and the homeowner has NOTHING better to do than to accuse him of stealing?? Hey, I know……… he was taking it to Area 51 because he is really an alien… How about that theory??

  78. You know the award was for Community Collaboration, right? I don't recall them saying they got an award for Journalistic Excellence. Anyhow, you go on ahead with your hero worship.

  81. how do you know that? You know or are this dude probably. He sure did (aka didn't) take a even a short pause to check the address on the package …

  82. At my work our security cameras are great. But then the awesome quality video is compressed down for storage on our DVR system and turns to junk with a really low frame rate.

    When watching live I can read the credit card number off of a customer's credit card from a camera mounted in the ceiling.

  83. As ENTP commented on another thread, it seems that many (most?) of the posters on this thread are really the same person posting under different aliases. Can the GS check IP addresses or use some other means to determine if that's true?

    Does the new commenting system still allow “guest” posts with made-up names? If that's what's happening here, it would be useful to have “guest” comments identified as such so they can be ignored by readers.

  85. If someone has info about this guy, who should they contact? What Officer at what Precinct? Case number? Do you have an email address they could contact if they'd rather talk to you than the cops?

  86. Multiple posts from one IP can mean they are coworkers, roommates or wireless sharers. I'd caution against that approach, but I would suggest just ignoring the ones you think are trolls.

  91. IP addresses mean nothing. There are 56 gazillion proxies out there. Even MAC IDs (basically a computer's serial number) can easily be spoofed. They are entirely unreliable.

  93. And I should add that by “entirely unreliable” I mean [i]entirely[i/] unreliable.

    The GS should, in no way whatsoever, assume identity is pegged to IP or even handle. I can spot at least two shared handles already.We all use the same free signals,post from the libary computers, and the GS aren't about to share any info freely.

    So that's a dead end. Lack of transparency will deter return visits. Fact.

  96. Can we all have a whip around to get a Pho a t-shirt (Doug) with his name on it? That way if we see him on fire on the street we'll know not to run over to p*ss on him to put it out. Afterall, he may be enjoying it, you can't tell just by looking.

  99. He is with the North Precinct, as I stated. Google it, I won't post it here. Officers have no direct number. Call the precinct and they'll take a message. That's the only way to contact him unless you see him on the street. He reads the forum on occasion, so I'm sure he'd love to talk to you.*

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