Doorbell video shows porch pirates steal Christmas gifts from West Covina mom-to-be

WEST COVINA, Calif. (KABC) -- Two porch pirates struck a West Covina neighborhood just days before Christmas, stealing multiple packages from a pregnant mom-to-be while she watched the theft unfold on her phone.

Angela Zhang said the thieves appeared calm and confident as they returned several times to her front porch, taking a total of six boxes while she was out to dinner.

"They weren't hesitant. They weren't nervous. They came up calmly," Zhang said. "They came back the second and third time, just picked it up and left."

The theft happened in a neighborhood near the 10 Freeway, where many residents use Ring doorbell cameras. That, however, did not deter the suspects, who also stole a bicycle from a nearby garage earlier the same day.

Zhang said she was shocked by how comfortable the thieves appeared, even though a camera was clearly recording them.

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"They were just taking other people's packages from their front doors, knowing that there was a camera pointed at them," she said.

Zhang does not expect to recover the stolen gifts but decided to warn her neighbors. She created and distributed flyers featuring photos of the suspects and safety tips aimed at preventing similar crimes. She also shared the information online, where she said she received strong community support.

Neighbors said the advice is helpful, but acknowledged that preventing package theft can be difficult.

"Sometimes delivery drivers are in a rush, and it's hard to know exactly when a package arrives," said Maggie Rodas, who lives nearby. "People are busy and don't always see the alerts right away."

Zhang has filed a police report and hopes the public will help identify the suspects, one of whom did not attempt to cover her face. The pair made several trips to steal the packages, leaving Zhang scrambling to replace the missing items before Christmas.

"We're running errands to get everything replaced," she said.