A thief was caught on camera stealing nearly $1,000 in Christmas presents and birthday gifts for two little girls off a Glendale porch and police were reviewing the video to try and find the real-life Grinch.
Home surveillance video shows what appears to be a thief hopping a porch railing during the daytime late last week and stealing several boxes containing a tablet, clothes, and toys for Steve Shokhkomyan's two little girls.
Now the family Christmas tree has nothing underneath, a situation made more frustrating since Shokhkomyan and his wife shopped almost exclusively online this year.
"I was really upset, really mad," Shokhkomyan said. "It's definitely ruining the Christmas season."
This time of year police stress using tracking numbers to know when your packages arrive or having them dropped off with a neighbor or family member you know will be home.
"This time of year, unfortunately, criminals target cars and homes and package deliveries," said Tahnee Lightfoot, a spokeswoman for the Glendale Police Department. "We have seen an increase in general theft in the city of Glendale."
A detective has the video.
Lightfoot said leaving packages on the porch is just an invitation for anyone looking to steal.
"If they expect a delivery then someone needs to be at home," she said. "I know that there's tracking devices and that indicated delivery times, but that's not always accurate.
The Shokhkomyans plan to go last-minute shopping and plan to install more cameras around the home. They'll also file a claim for the stolen items.
