Young woman in activewear arrested after shock CCTV footage

A woman dressed in activewear and glasses has been arrested after she was allegedly caught on CCTV stealing a package outside a NSW home. 

A young woman dressed in activewear and sunglasses has been arrested after she was allegedly caught on CCTV stealing a package outside a NSW home, sparking community outrage.

The 24-year-old, dressed in a black crop top and bright blue bike shorts, was seen in home security footage sneaking onto the porch of a residence in Richmond, 60km northwest of Sydney, just before 8pm on January 20. 

The footage, shared by independent Hawkesbury City Councillor Nathan Zamprogno on social media, shows the woman cautiously looking around as she makes her way to the front door of the property before reaching down to allegedly swipe a white parcel left behind a pot plant.

The woman appears to take another moment to check the coast is clear before quickly walking off the property.

The woman was dressed in activewear when she allegedly stole a package and sunglasses from the porch. Picture: Facebook/Councillor Nathan Zamprogno

The woman allegedly stole a package and a pair of women’s glasses, according to Mr Zamprogno.

“The victim posted some very clear security camera vision which I was happy to give a wider circulation. Literally the next day I received a call from a keen-eyed local,” Mr Zamprogno wrote on Facebook. 

The councillor shared footage to social media last week, asking the public to help identify the alleged thief.

She checked the coast was clear before making her way to the front door. Picture: Facebook/Councillor Nathan Zamprogno

The woman was seen reaching for a white package behind a pot plant. Picture: Facebook/Councillor Nathan Zamprogno

Mr Zamprogno said the woman and a second person have been arrested over the incident as well as a separate alleged aggravated break-and-enter at another property in the area. 

“Yesterday at our Australia Day celebrations I was speaking to Superintendent Nadine from Hawkesbury Police Area Command and was very pleased to hear that two arrests have been made, for this and for a related aggravated break-and-enter at another premise in Richmond,” he wrote. 

“This is a very welcome outcome, and it came as a result of the hard work of the police and the vigilance of our community.” 

Police confirmed a 24-year-old woman had been charged with aggravated break and enter after allegedly stealing a parcel worth $170.

She was granted conditional bail and is set to appear in Windsor Local Court on Wednesday.

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Worrying trend emerges

The woman isn’t the first alleged porch pirate.

Many opportunistic thieves were out in full force swiping packages across the country in December as Aussies completed their last-minute Christmas shopping.

On December 7, a Canberra resident took to Reddit to warn others of “letter box bandits” and alerted locals of “rampant” criminal activity in the area.

The resident’s postie said porch pirates had started to “loiter outside an apartment and tailgate residence in to steal packages in the foyer”.

A man was spotted allegedly stealing a parcel from a Melbourne porch. Picture: Reddit

The criminal trend has taken off in major cities around the country. Picture: 7News

Another resident, who lives in Ivanhoe in Melbourne’s northeast, was horrified when they came home on December 18 to “find packages stolen” from their front porch.

It was after the resident checked their security footage they discovered a woman collecting small parcels from the porch, placing them in her duffel bag and fleeing the scene.

Speaking to NewsWire, an Australia Post spokesperson said there were steps residents could take to prevent porch pirates.

“Theft after delivery is a criminal offence and we encourage customers to contact the police if they suspect their mail has been tampered with or stolen,” they said.

“Customers concerned about security or wanting a convenient alternative to home delivery can choose to redirect their mail and parcels to their local Post Office, a PO Box or one of our free 24/7 parcel lockers with the AusPost mobile app, even when the parcel is on its way.

“For any delivery service inquiries, we encourage customers to contact us on 13 POST so we can provide help and support,’ the spokesperson said.

News.com.au has contacted NSW Police for comment.