Fortuna Resident Nabs Porch Pirate and Recovers Stolen Package

fortuna policeAn alert and angry homeowner and Fortuna Police snagged a porch pirate this morning. The incident occurred about 8:15 a.m. when the suspect allegedly took a package off a porch on Summer Street. The resident was alerted to the attempted theft by a neighbor.

The resident followed to persuade the poaching pirate to return the package. The alleged thief reportedly attempted to flee but the resident eventually found the pillaging pirate hiding in a backyard. Aided by the arrival of Fortuna Police, the resident was able to capture the suspect and recover the package.

Fortuna Police confirmed the incident and said they arrested Demarcus Conley,  age 37, for the theft.

UPDATE 11:03 a.m.: Press release from the Fortuna Police:

Demarcus ConleyOn December 22, 2017 at approx. 8:15 am, Fortuna Police Department received a report of a male who had just stolen a package from the front porch of a residence on the 500 block of Summer Street.  The victim told police he was chasing the male on Fortuna Blvd.  

Officers arrived in the area and began searching for the suspect.  The Sergeant contacted the victim who told Police the suspect had thrown the package while the victim was chasing him.  The victim provided a description of the suspect and his last known location.  While Officers were searching the area, the Sergeant observed a male matching the description provided by the victim walk into a backyard of a residence on the 1600 block of Newburg Road.  Officers entered the backyard and located Demarcus Conley hiding near a fence. Conley was detained without incident.  The victim was transported to the scene and positively identified Conley as the suspect in the theft.  Conley was arrested and transported to the Humboldt County Jail and booked for the following charges.

?PC 488– Petty Theft

?PC 647(h)- Prowling on private property

The Fortuna Police Department would like to thank the alert citizen and home owner who contacted police after noticing suspicious activity in their neighborhood.  During the holiday season, the Fortuna Police Department routinely fields an increased number of theft calls in regards to packages being stolen from the front porches of residences.  Due to the heightened awareness of these citizens, the victim was able to retrieve his property and an arrest was made.  The police department would like to remind citizens if they observe suspicious activity in their neighborhoods to contact the Police Department 725-7550.

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27 Comments
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Debbie Topping
Guest
6 years ago

Can we push to have these a$$hats charged with Federal mail tampering? Please?!

hmmmm
Guest
hmmmm
6 years ago
Reply to  Debbie Topping

you are funny. crime is not a punishable offense in humboldt county.

Radar
Guest
Radar
6 years ago
Reply to  hmmmm

Try California…it’s what we (not me) voted for.

Bill Honsal Sr.
Guest
Bill Honsal Sr.
6 years ago
Reply to  Debbie Topping

Just wondering if this is a possible suspect in the U.S. Mail Box break-in (actually ripped open the rear of 2 of the sidewalk lock boxes two night ago) just off of Rohnerville Road, at Hillras …these thieves are certainly brazen! Or perhaps it’s the drug addiction. Sad.

As I see It
Guest
As I see It
6 years ago

Agree. The thievery in this town is out of control. The dis-ease of these career criminals should not be something our community has to continually endure. It’s time to revisit who we allow to walk back into the community and make our streets and homes safe havens without the threat of loss to modern day outlaws.

hmm
Guest
hmm
6 years ago

It always helpful if the police can provide a mugshot of these criminals.

Local
Guest
Local
6 years ago

No mug shot?

Things that make you go hmm
Guest
Things that make you go hmm
6 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

And is he 47 or 37? The headline is different than the article. Thanks and have a merry Christmas!🎄🎅

Hahahaha
Guest
Hahahaha
6 years ago

Or you can get with the times and keep up with the criminals, practice some current security measures or continue to lose to criminal activity. Was it Federal or was it Amazon? I don’t need the Feds charging me to police Amazon too. This was a target of opportunity. Police react, security protects.

Copper1
Guest
Copper1
6 years ago

Theft of packages not delivered by US Mail is not theft of mail.

Cowabunga
Guest
Cowabunga
6 years ago

Just got this message from Lieutenant Daniel Monk of the Sacramento Police Department. Looks like they are using “bait packages”:

“Good Morning-
In a post earlier this week, I highlighted our holiday crime reduction strategies which included bait packages being deployed in various parts of the East Command. Earlier this morning, we were notified that one of our bait packages in the Elmhurst neighborhood had been taken. Our officers quickly arrived to the area, and located the suspects. Upon searching the suspect’s vehicle, our hard-working officers not only located the stolen bait package, but found packages that had been taken from other residences”

Livin' Easy
Guest
Livin' Easy
6 years ago
Reply to  Cowabunga

They put GPS devices in the packages. Our LE should set up bait cars, bicycles, etc. with GPS; and they could take a lot of criminals off the street. Problem is, they don’t want to deal with those people because there is nothing in it for them except paper work. Those they do arrest, get released before the ink dries on their booking sheets.

humkid
Guest
humkid
6 years ago

Wish our law enforcement had a game plan of any sort.#lazy Humboldt Cops .#Do your jobs.

Crime stopper
Guest
Crime stopper
6 years ago

Another unemployed porch thief from the “unsuccessful Democrats’ relocation policies of Katrina’s New Orleans program. Hell- ship’m out to all the states and get rid of them. They become someone else’s endowment problem. This guy doesn’t look like he should be anywhere in Fortuna, let alone Humboldt County. HOW DID HE GET HERE????????SAN Francisco Amtrak-YES!

Gazoo
Guest
Gazoo
6 years ago
Reply to  Crime stopper

What exactly do people from Fortuna look like?

Crime stopper
Guest
Crime stopper
6 years ago
Reply to  Gazoo

you

The Hermit of Grizzly Mountain
Guest
The Hermit of Grizzly Mountain
6 years ago
Reply to  Crime stopper

Only children and dumb people are able see The Great Gazoo. Which one are you?

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  Gazoo

Kym

Hillbilly
Guest
Hillbilly
6 years ago
Reply to  Crime stopper

He’s from fortuna… SMH

Mike
Guest
Mike
6 years ago

Are we allowed to say “porch pirate”? That really sounds like something we can’t say in 2017.

Crime stopper
Guest
Crime stopper
6 years ago
Reply to  Mike

I was going to say [edit] but held my tongue the first time.

Truthy
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Thanks!

Hick
Guest
Hick
6 years ago

ARRRRRR!!! Walk the plank.