A FedEx delivery driver was violently assaulted by a package thief as he was making a stop at a Columbus, Ohio, home, and the shocking ordeal was caught by a doorbell camera.
A TikTok creator who goes by @by.nay.a uploaded the alarming footage, along with the backstory of what happened, on October 28:
@by.nay.a Please be aware #beaware #beawareofyoursurroundings
In the video, the unsuspecting FedEx driver was approached from behind by another man, who dragged him off the porch stairs and to the ground.
The TikToker’s brother then ran out the front door to break up the struggle, but the thief got away with the package.
In the background, a car with two people inside can be seen parked directly behind the FedEx truck.
Explaining that the driver was delivering a package of new cell phones to her sister-in-law, the TikToker said she had seen online that a band of porch pirates had found a way to use tracking numbers to target such deliveries.
In a follow-up video, the influencer said, “From what I can gather, they’re getting a tracking number from somewhere… it’s an inside job somewhere, it sounds like.”
She added that the police were able to identify the apparent getaway vehicle’s license plate and are actively searching for the porch pirates.
“The last we’ve heard, the robber is on the run,” she said, before adding that she has gotten comments from other people who had also had devices stolen by package thieves, including Apple Watches and iPads.
“It’s Christmas time so I don’t even want to think about what is happening, so just be safe.”