Suspected package thief arrested in Bowmanville; police say she worked with a team
CHICAGO (CBS) -- There has been another rash of package thefts – this time in the Bowmanville neighborhood.
Police this time caught the suspect – and she even matches the description of a suspected thief we highlighted in another story. But as CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov reported Tuesday, stopping these suspects poses a challenge.
Julie Hart didn't know at first that she'd fallen victim to a package thief. It took a "package delivered" email from an online retailer, her empty porch, and a review of her Ring doorbell video to see the thief in action.
It happened Friday afternoon in broad daylight.
"It looked like a woman, but she had a surgical mask on and a hood, so I couldn't see very much of her," Hart said.
What Hart did see was the thief toss one package over the porch at her house, and put the other package in a bag. Hart sent a heads-up email to her Bowmanville neighbors – as a warning.
Afterward, someone from the group called Hart said she saw a woman being arrested down the block at Oakley and Berwyn avenues Friday – on accusations of stealing packages.
"I'm really just gob smacked that somebody was arrested," Hart said.
Chicago Police said that someone is Ashley Taylor, 32. When Hart went to police to file a complaint, a detective told her even more.
"He also told me that this is not the first time this woman has been arrested, and she works with a team," Hart said. "They think a car was following her."
A neighbor who saw Taylor's arrest described her as slender, with longer blonde hair. She looks very similar to a woman caught on security cameras stealing mail from a Clybourn Corridor area condo building last fall with an accomplice.
In that case, they used a master postal key.
But Hart said the detective added that holding such suspects accountable is not easy, because many victims refuse to follow up. That allows mail and package thieves to strike again.
"People are refusing to file complaints," Hart said. "They're happy they got their stuff back, and they just want to be done."
Chicago Police say in this case, Taylor was charged with four misdemeanor counts of theft or mislaid property less than $500, She had a suitcase with her, and other people's mail was found inside of it.
