Package thief identified after Jefferson City man’s viral Facebook post
Stolen packages around the holidays are certainly nothing new–but one victim in Jefferson City decided to fight back.
Russ Hart tells ABC 17 News he had packages stolen off his porch in late November, so he set up a camera outside his home and put empty packages on his doorstep.
Fast forward to the afternoon of December 22 when the camera caught the thief stealing those empty packages in broad daylight.
Hart says he contacted police but their hands were tied because the packages were empty. So, he decided to get his own revenge in the form of a Facebook post.
The post went viral and soon, six people messaged Hart identifying the thief as Jose Almanza. The public’s help gave police a reason to step back in, and they reached back out to Hart in hopes of catching the suspect.
While Almanza is still on the run, Jefferson City Police tell ABC 17 News that social media sites can be a very powerful tool. They encourage people to use them and say they can often help identity a suspect.
Additionally, police say it’s one of the best things when the public has a recording system. Hart tells ABC 17 News he purchased his on Amazon for $29.99–and insists it was money well spent.
ABC 17 News will have a full report on this story in our evening newscast.
