With most non-essential workers staying home with their loved ones and riding out the COVID-19 pandemic many families are relying on home delivery service for essential items.
Hard to find items delivered by Amazon or Walmart, food delivered by Instacart or PeaPod and daily deliveries from Post Office, FedEx and UPS have been helping to keep East Boston residents home and away from stores. These isolation efforts and social distancing have been tools in trying to ‘flatten’ the curve in a neighborhood that has experienced one of the highest infection rates in the city.
However, much like Christmas when home deliveries spike, thieves have been lurking about waiting for the opportunity to snatch packages left on front stoops in the neighborhood by delivery companies.
One such thief was arrested last week by Boston Police from District A-7.
Just before 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 29 officers assigned to District A-7 responded to a call for a larceny in progress of a suspect stealing packages from a house on Princeton Street. The suspect could be seen placing packages inside his coat and his pants before fleeing on foot in the direction of Meridian Street.
A detail officer saw a male, later identified as Steven Ayala-Conde, 22, of Boston, walking near Border Street. The officer attempted to apprehend the suspect but he continued to flee on foot while allegedly dropping several items including, U.S. postal packages and a cell phone.
A Boston Police Canine Unit arrived on scene to conduct a search and found the suspect hiding under a porch of a vacant building in the rear of 7 /7A Monmouth Street.
Ayala-Conde was arrested and charged with Trespassing, Larceny under $250 and Buying, Receiving or Concealing Stolen Goods arraigned in East Boston District Court.