SLO police search for woman who stole gift for baby off front porch

’Tis the season for package thefts.

According to San Luis Obispo police, a package left on the front porch of a home was taken by a stranger about 45 minutes after it was delivered on Monday.

The victim, Nick Enns, provided police with a photograph of the thief from a surveillance camera mounted near the front door, police said.

Enns lives on Augusta Street near Sinsheimer Elementary School. He said that the package contained a hat for his 7-month-old son.

“So, not super costly to replace, but just annoying to be stolen from and also an uneasy feeling of violation,” Enns said in an email. He added that the officer he spoke to told him it was her fourth package theft call of the day.

The suspect is a white female, wearing a white shirt and sunglasses. After taking the package, she left on foot. Officials ask anyone with information about the theft or the suspect to call the watch commander at 805-781-7313.

These kinds of crimes are common during the holiday season, and police ask everyone to report suspicious activity.

Here are five tips to prevent your packages from being stolen:

▪  Have the package delivered to where you are. Consider having the package delivered to your place of work.

▪  Require a signature for delivery.

▪  Ask a neighbor to pick up the package when it’s delivered and store it until you get home.

▪  Set up an alternate delivery location for pickup, such as the post office, FedEx office, UPS store or Amazon Locker.

▪  Use a surveillance camera system and place security stickers and yard signs in strategic areas.

This story was originally published November 28, 2017 at 11:45 AM with the headline "SLO police search for woman who stole gift for baby off front porch."