JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man who walked up to a couple’s porch and stole an electric saw this week was caught on camera, and the couple living in the Southbank home said they want the community to see the man’s face.
In the video, the man can be seen casually walking up to the porch and then boldly making off with the saw.
The thief was so bold, the man who lives at the home said he wants to make sure the man in the video doesn’t steal from someone else.
“I moved down from St. Louis, and you know we had had some issues there with people trying to break into the garage and all. But around here things seem pretty quiet,” Andrew Kreitz said.
That was before Kreitz woke up Thursday morning and realized the electric saw sitting on his porch the night before was gone.
Wondering if it was stolen, Kreitz checked his home surveillance footage.
“Sure enough, I mean, the guy walked right up as if he didn't even know there was a camera there,” Kreitz said.
The camera is prominently fixed above the front door with a warning on the window just inches away.
“Criminals are not always the smartest people on earth. Sometimes, they’ll think, ‘Well maybe the camera is not on. Maybe it’s not a real camera. Maybe that’s just a dummy sign,’ and maybe he’s just willing to take that chance,” News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith said.
Smith said even though it didn’t work in this case, security cameras are usually a good deterrent to keep thieves away.
Kreitz admitted his saw was sitting out in the open, but he said he still didn’t expect something as bold as this.
“I don't want to say it was scary, but it does get your blood boiling a little bit just to know that someone would walk up on your porch at 3 o'clock in the morning and rummage through your stuff,” Kreitz said.
He said he isn't holding out hope he'll get his saw back, but he hopes someone will see the man in the video and help stop him from stealing again.
Anyone who can identify the man is asked to call the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office at 904-630-0500.