As the UPS delivery truck pulls up to the curb in an Irvine neighborhood, a man is seen pacing in front of the home as he scrolls his phone.
The man shows the UPS driver a driver’s license, signs for the package – which contains an Apple MacBook Pro – and then gets into a gray sedan with no license plates and takes off.
Video from a Ring doorbell camera on Nov. 18 captures the scene, including a blurry image of the man’s face, white shirt and dark pants.
He is now wanted for theft, according to Irvine police.
He first intercepted the truck some blocks away, attempting to sign for the package at that point, Irvine police spokesman Kyle Oldoerp said. The driver reportedly told the man that the package had to be delivered and signed for at the home.
Immediately after the handoff in front of the home, as the man sped away, the resident opened the door, asking for his package.
The victim told police that the UPS driver said the man showed an ID with the resident’s name on it, Oldoerp said. Police have not confirmed that yet.
”He obviously knew that the MacBook was on the truck,” Oldoerp said.
However, he said police do not believe that the thief and victim knew one another.
A similar case occurred in August in Watertown, MA. A woman watched from her window as an unknown man in her yard accepted a package, containing electronics for work, from a delivery truck driver, 7News Boston reported. She informed the driver that the man did not live in the house, and both unsuccessfully attempted to chase down the man as he raced toward his van.
In both Irvine and Watertown, the residents did not know how the people intercepting the packages knew their contents or expected delivery dates.
The man in Northwood has not been identified yet. Anyone with information is asked to email edmartinez@cityofirvine.org.
