GERMANTOWN, Md. — Montgomery County Police say they’ve arrested four people suspected of ripping off packages left outside people’s homes.
And officers are making sure the stolen items they recovered get to their intended recipients just in time for the holidays.
Three 17-year-olds and an 18-year-old were arrested in connection with separate incidents on Dec. 13 in Clarksburg, Maryland, and Dec. 20 in Germantown, Maryland.
In the Clarksburg incident, someone reported seeing two young men stealing packages from the front porches of homes on Fair Garden Lane, police said.
In the other case, police had received several calls about a car following a delivery truck in order to steal packages.
Police recovered more than 40 stolen packages in all, including a pair of Ugg boots that Darlene Brownlee said her daughter asked for Christmas.
“She’ll be surprised and happy that she got them, because I told her no way,” Brownlee said. “I am pleased with how Montgomery County handled it.”
Another resident, Lanre Okusanya, had also placed an order for boots that didn’t show up.
He said he was happy to be notified that police had found the package.
“It is a Christmas present to myself, especially since we had snow last weekend,” he added.
Brownlee and Okusanya came to the 5th District Police Station in Germantown Thursday to pick up their packages.
Other stolen items that were recovered include a chair, some DVDs and a holiday gift basket.
Police say a package containing five picture frames with a $100 bill inside each was reported missing, and one of the suspects had $500 in her purse that they believe came from that package.
Investigators think the thieves returned some items they stole to stores, to get cash or store credit.
Late Thursday afternoon, Montgomery County Police announced that they had arrested two more juveniles suspected of stealing packages left on doorsteps.
They were taken into custody in Germantown.
