TAMPA, Fla — Forget porch pirates, what happens when your package never even makes it to the front door?
Paul Streicher says that’s exactly what he witnessed on his security camera in his Citrus Park-area neighborhood.
"I was shocked to see this Amazon truck pull up and then, 'lo and behold, he tosses the packages in (the trash) like it was nothing,” Streicher said.
The video shows a delivery van pull up just before noon Monday in front of the home of Streicher's neighbor. A delivery driver is seen getting out of the truck and tossing what appears to be packages in a trash bin at the curb before proceeding up the driveway to drop off another package.
Streicher says his neighbor later found two opened empty packages in his trash bin addressed to other people — it's not known who took the items inside. He asked Streicher to check his surveillance cameras.
After calling Amazon, Streicher took it upon himself to get the packages to their intended addresses, which included Javier Francisco’s house about a mile away.
“I just thought it was nice of him to actually chase down the people,” Francisco said.
The empty box Streicher delivered to Francisco should’ve had more than $100 worth of electronics inside.
“They were all presents for my grandson,” Francisco said. “We’re hoping we will get those presents before Sunday, which is when his birthday party is.”
An Amazon spokesperson says the driver is no longer delivering Amazon packages.
“This does not reflect the high standards we have for our delivery service partners,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement to 10News. “We have reached out to the customers to make this right.”
Streicher posted the video of the incident to his NextDoor app. Before posting, he clicked a checkbox to report it directly to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office—which is an option on the app in some neighborhoods, according to NextDoor’s website.
However, an HCSO spokesperson said the app doesn’t count as an official report, adding it’s always best to report any incident directly to law enforcement. Prior to being contacted by 10News, the agency was unaware of the incident.
Francisco says he and his wife have been ordering from Amazon for years without issue and believe this whole thing is just a fluke.
“I’m not going to put the company down with one bad egg,” he said.
For Streicher, it’s proof his cameras are paying off.
“You’ve got to stay alert these days,” he said. “Especially Christmastime.”
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