Pillow pirate plundering porches and patios in Long Beach

LONG BEACH (KABC) -- It's not unusual for valuable items to be swiped from front doors and porches in Southern California. Surveillance cameras have caught plenty of thieves sneaking off with packages from Amazon and other valuables.

But a new rash of thefts in the Long Beach area has some residents perplexed.

A nocturnal prowler has been pilfering pillows from porches and patios, swiping the cushions right off of chairs and swings.

Over the past week or so, the Long Beach pillow pirate has plundered at least nine homes in the Bluff Heights, Belmont Heights and Rose Park neighborhoods.

Neighbors are frustrated enough by the thefts that they've posted flyers with the man's picture around the block.

Those posters are scattered up and down the block, offering a pretty decent peek at the plunderer with the purloined porch pillows.

But the man's identify is not the biggest mystery. The real question, as so many residents are asking, is: Why?

"It's disturbing - used pillows," said resident Tara Frasier. "But at the same time, funny. Like why? Why?"