Off-duty WTPD officer thwarts alleged porch pirates — two charged; iPhone recovered

Quick Thinking: An off-duty Washington Township police officer observed suspicious activity, leading to the arrest of two suspects charged with package theft on Washington Avenue. Pascack Press illustration.
Quick Thinking: An off-duty Washington Township police officer observed suspicious activity, leading to the arrest of two suspects charged with package theft on Washington Avenue. Pascack Press illustration.

TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—An alert off-duty township police officer stopped an apparent theft in progress on Tuesday, Oct. 22, leading to the arrest of two suspects.

According to a WTPD statement, around noon, the officer spotted a tan Toyota Camry with Pennsylvania plates stopped on Washington Avenue, its hazard lights flashing. The officer observed a man exit the vehicle, run to a nearby porch, grab a package, and return to the car. As the vehicle attempted to leave, the officer alerted on-duty colleagues, who swiftly located and stopped the car on the Garden State Parkway southbound on-ramp.

Officers conducting the stop saw an open package in plain sight, which belonged to the resident of the home the suspects had been parked in front of. The package contained an Apple iPhone 16. (The base model starts at $799.)

Thanks to the off-duty officer’s actions, Yan Maikol Fulgencio Soriano and Anyelo Sepulveda-Lara were charged with third-degree theft of movable property (2C:20-3A).

iPhone 16 from Apple Computer. Porch pirates are targeting electronics this holiday season, though any parcel idling unattended is vulnerable.

The Township of Washington Police Department reminds the public that criminal charges are only allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

As the holiday season approaches, police are urging residents to be on guard for package thefts, which seem to target electronics. The department offers the following tips to help keep your deliveries safe:

  • Track your deliveries and use notifications to know when packages will arrive.
  • Arrange for packages to be delivered to a relative, neighbor, or friend who will be home.
  • Consider having packages held at the post office for pickup.
  • Schedule deliveries for times when you will be home.
  • Use “Ship to Store” options when available.
  • Request signature confirmation upon delivery.
  • Install a video doorbell or security system for porch monitoring.