A thief went so far as to leave a thank you note after stealing a package from a woman's porch.
Hilary Smith, who hails from St. Paul, Minnesota, came home from work around 5pm, expecting a delivery, hours after she had received a text message saying that the package had been successfully delivered.
However, she came to discover that her package had been stolen, and that the perpetrator had felt the need to leave her a thank you note.
Fail Clerk Uses Thief's Own Gun Against Him During Robbery In Kentucky:"So just a quick little thank you for leaving me the opportunity of stealing your package. Very nice of you. Thank you," read the note, which was tauntingly signed, "The new owner of your package."
Smith, who first posted the picture of the note to a Facebook group, revealed that the package was a portable phone charger - and because it was a small gift for her boss - she decided not to formally report the crime. The post quickly went viral, however, garnering over 1,700 reactions and 600 comments in under one day.
Speaking to Fox6Now, she said, "I do appreciate a nicely-crafted ‘thank you’ note, but this is ridiculous."
She's determined not to let this happen again, though, telling the publication that she has left a decoy package on her steps, filled with what she describes as "a little gift from my dog".
The St. Paul police then proceeded to post a picture of the note to their Twitter account, and offered advice for how to prevent this type of crime. "It’s something we’ve never seen before, and I don’t know what to chalk it up to. It’s so unheard of," Sgt. Mike Ernster said of the incident to Fox6Now.
Although local authorities have not seen such a note before, they did disclose that 94 package thefts have been reported in the district since October 1st, and added that porch thieves tend to be more prevalent around the Christmas season.
