CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Social media has been heating up in one Corpus Christi neighborhood with claims of mail boxes being broken into along with car break-in's and those porch pirates stealing packages from in front of people's homes.
3NEWS was in the King's Crossing neighborhood for a good part of the day to report on this issue and find out what police recommend you can do to fight back.
"I've seen posts on the Facebook group. We haven't had it happen to us but I know it's going around and I'm aware of it, for the porch pirates and the mailboxes getting busted open," said resident, Morgan Garner.
Morgan Garner and her husband Juran were out for an early morning walk in the neighborhood. They were being led around by their basset hound, Spot and Dasher the weenie dog. The couple said they feel lucky they haven't been the victim of porch pirates or the other crooks roaming through the neighborhood.
Many of the crimes have been posted in the neighborhood Facebook page.
"We've got cameras and just try not to leave your stuff out too long. Don't give them the opportunity," said Garner.
Police said they don't believe the neighborhood is being targeted. They do remind everyone to make sure they report the crimes to them and to get a case number. Also, recorded video can help investigators.
"The best defense is a good offense so we recommend getting a door bell camera or some type of security camera of good quality. If you happen to be home and it happens, you know, call the police and hopefully the officer can catch them in the act or catch them in the area," said Corpus Christi Police Senior Officer Antonio Contreras.
From time to time, there are reports of people following FedEx or Amazon trucks and stealing the packages they leave behind. Back in 2019, the state passed a law changing the theft of a package from a misdemeanor to a felony, a crime that can land someone in prison anywhere from 6 months to 10 years.