JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – There's a neighborhood crime alert in Avondale, where one resident who was fed up with porch pirates in the area said he took it upon himself to chase down a thief to get his neighbor's package back. The encounter was caught on camera.
Greg Kosmala and his wife have lived in Avondale for eight years. He told News4Jax he was sitting in his home office about 3 p.m. Thursday when he looked out the window and saw a thief taking off on a bicycle with an Amazon package.
"I could see him looking down the driveways as he was going by with the package," Kosmala said. "He also had a backpack on."
Kosmala said he then left his house on Belvedere Avenue and chased the man on the bike for about 2 ½ minutes throughout Riverside.
Kosmala recorded video, in which he can be seen driving alongside the bicyclist. He can then be heard telling the bicyclist, "I just called the police. They're on the way. I want my f****** package back."
In the video, the bicyclist asks Kosmala, "What's the name on it, sir?" To which Kosmala replies, "Just give me the f****** package. I saw you take the f****** package. It's alright. The police are on their way, buddy."
That's when, Kosmala told News4Jax, "He made one look back and he saw that I was coming down the street, he heard the engine revving up and he shook his head and dropped the package."
He said he never had any doubt or fear in his mind as he was chasing after the thief.
"Not at the time," Kosmala said. "If the community doesn't get involved and let people know that there's people watching them, this is going to continue to happen."
Kosmala said he did report the theft to the police, but it's unclear whether the porch pirate has been caught.
The package, which contained a new pair of Nike shoes, was returned to Kosmala's neighbor by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.