Full Notification

During this time of the year, many people elect to do their holiday shopping online to avoid crowds, long lines and to enjoy the mere convenience of having the goods delivered to your doorstep. Thieves also do their shopping this time of year however in a different form, they steal them off your front porch moments after being delivered.
 
Many residents in San Leandro have become victim to this practice, including two homes in the 900 block of Evergreen Avenue on Tuesday, December 11^th.
 
At around 11:30 am, these residents received packages delivered to their doorstep delivered by a driver in a white parcel van. In one of the resident's video camera, the driver is seen placing the packages on the front porch. Moments later, a silver BMW sedan pulls up to the house and a black male exits from the passenger door. The black male subject runs to the front porch and steals the packages that were just delivered.
 
The resident's video surveillance also captures the same thief taking a package from the porch of his neighbor's home across the street. The suspect returns to the waiting vehicle which flees the area.
 
San Leandro police officers arrived on scene to investigate. A description of the suspect, who was wearing distinctive pajama pants, a black hooded sweatshirt, and sneakers was broadcasted to officers around the city.
 
A couple of hours later, an officer on patrol in the south end of town saw the suspect walking on Hesperian Blvd.  The officer stopped the suspect who was later identified as 20-year-old Deandre Jamal Malik Smith of Oakland. Smith confessed to the theft and was arrested by officers.
 
"Once again the use of video surveillance helped our officers in locating the suspect," said San Leandro Police Lieutenant Isaac Benabou. "The distinctive clothing the suspect wore caught the attention of our officer. Without the video, we would not know who to look for."  
 
Smith was taken to San Leandro city jail where he was cited and released with a misdemeanor citation for mail theft. Smith will appear in court in January.
 
The stolen items and the vehicle he was riding in have not yet been located.