Colorado Springs police arrest porch pirates thanks to high-quality video
You’ve shared them on social media and they’ve been seen by thousands — now the high-quality videos of porch pirates recorded by surveillance and doorbell cameras are being credited for helping Colorado Springs police make a few arrests.
A news release sent Wednesday by CSPD says officers with the Strategic Investigations Unit and Crime Analysis Unit pored through videos submitted via websites like Ring and Nextdoor. They were able to identify five suspects.
Four of the suspects were arrested, and one is still being sought. They’re all facing charges of misdemeanor theft, but the hope is that the arrests will send a message to other would-be thieves.
“It really feels good to make those arrests to hold those people accountable and get their property back to the victims,” CSPD’s Strategic and Investigations Unit Sgt. Keith Wrede said.
CSPD arrested Benjamin Boomsliter, 19; John Mullins, 45; Nicholas Rivers, 21; and Maranda Turner, 32. Michael Barner, 57, is still wanted. We’re still awaiting their mugshots.
Turner was featured in two different posts we shared dating back to last year. She was noted for having an object in her mouth like a toothpick or lollipop stick.
Police said the success of the investigation was “largely due to the amount of quality security video” provided by victims and neighbors.
Wrede said if someone has a package stolen, it’s imperative to file a police report, even just an online one, so CSPD can try and track down who took it.
“No matter what the dollar amount of your package is, you’re a victim,” Wrede said. “And victims deserve to have their perpetrators held accountable.”
CSPD praised the effort of capturing video and sharing it with investigators but made a note for citizens to not make direct contact with suspects.
As for Wrede’s message to people considering stealing a package off someone else’s porch.
‘Don’t do it. It’s not worth the risk because we are paying attention, we hear the members of the community, we’re seeing their videos and we’re coming after you,” Wrede said.
