Navy SEAL Fed Up With Porch Thieves, Puts Clever Stop To Them

Tired and Frustrated

Each time he went outside and looked at his porch, he saw that someone had taken things that didn’t belong to them. This made him more and more upset. He worked really hard for his money, and it felt like a waste. But then, one day, he heard a big noise and a scream. He leaned back and slowly smiled, feeling satisfied.

A New Type of Thief

In the United States, around one-third of the packages that are brought to people’s houses don’t actually get to the people they’re meant for. This isn’t because the mail service is bad or the people sending the packages are being mean. Nope, it’s because of sneaky Porch Pirates who want to take things that aren’t theirs. They can’t resist the urge to steal packages left alone on someone’s porch. But Arthur Russel had enough of this problem and he was really fed up with it.

Arthur Russel Remember the Name

Arthur was a fair and sensible person. He felt proud of how well he could control himself, which he had learned during his time in the military. He was modest and had put in a lot of effort to earn everything he owned. But then, someone else took his things as if they had a right to them. The first time this happened, Arthur was mad. The second, third, and fourth times, he got really, really angry.

Bold Thieves

The bold thieves took everything from Arthur, even small things like toilet paper and valuable car parts for his Jeep, while he was at his job. Arthur had tried to do the right thing by telling the police about the thefts, but they didn’t really care about his situation. He was really angry about all the things he lost, so he decided to handle the situation on his own.

A Clever Idea

Even though Arthur called the police many times and didn’t get any help, he didn’t give up. He started working on making a special box for revenge. The next person who tried to steal from his porch would be in for a surprise. You see, those thieves didn’t know that Arthur had some special abilities and a really interesting hobby.

A Special Soldier

Arthur used to be part of a special group called Navy SEALs, and he was really good at doing things in a different and unexpected way. He had to do tough training to be ready for risky missions that needed him to be strong both in body and mind. This training made him tough and focused on what he wanted to do. When he had free time, he liked making traps. So, when the porch thieves bothered Arthur, they had no idea that they were getting themselves into a big problem.

A Surprise Box for Payback

At first, Arthur made a really complex box for his plan. But then he changed his mind and wanted to keep it simpler. He made a trap with a snare that was kind of like a toy called a Chinese finger trap. But he wasn’t satisfied with how it turned out. He wanted to do something more, but in a new and different way. He wanted the thief to feel really sorry for trying to steal from him.

Brainstorm Session

“I was wondering, how could I make them so scared that they would let go of my package and never come near my porch again,” Arthur remembered. He thought about it a lot. His most important rule was to make them really, really scared, but not hurt them at all. Having the police involved would just make everything more complicated.”

Success!

He kept drawing different plans until he thought one was just right. He decided to get rid of the snare idea and went for something more… explosive! He completely gave up on the first plan and began thinking of a new one. He made lists of what he could do, and then he suddenly realized what to do. He figured out that he could set it up in a way that nobody would get hurt.

Shopping for Tools

Arthur wrote down a list of things he needed and went to the hardware store to buy them for his revenge box. When he left the store, he thought the cashier might be looking at him strangely – maybe they guessed what he was up to? He understood that his actions might seem odd, but he didn’t really care. He didn’t need to explain anything to them, and they could think whatever they wanted, even if they happened to be right.

The Tempting Lure

The rest of the day, Arthur worked on building his device and making a regular box look like an important package. When Arthur was done, he stepped back and felt really happy with what he had made. He took it to his backyard to try it out and couldn’t help but laugh with excitement when it did exactly what he had planned.

Trying Out the Plan

He tried it one more time, this time covering his ears to protect them. The first test was really loud. He tried it many times to be sure it worked every time. And it did. There was just one last thing he needed to finish his plan. Arthur got into his car and went to the closest store to buy a security camera. Now, there was no way anyone could get away without him knowing.

A Hidden Camera

Arthur came back home and set up a camera on his doorbell. This way, he could see the thief’s face even when he was away at work. The video he got was exactly what he wanted. Now, all he had to do was set up his trap and be patient. He didn’t have to wait for too long, just like he thought. That evening, while sitting on his couch, he caught the first person who fell into his trap.

Acting Normal

The camera on the doorbell captured the person who didn’t suspect anything, boldly walking up to Arthur’s front door. Arthur was excitedly watching on his phone, sitting at the edge of his seat. He couldn’t believe how someone could act so normal before doing something wrong. Surprisingly, the thief turned out to be a woman.

The First Success

Arthur was really surprised as he watched the woman coming closer. She was about to ring the doorbell to see if someone was home, but she got scared by the light that turned on when she moved. She stepped away from the door. Then Arthur saw a car in the background that seemed like a way for her to escape. A man in the car was encouraging her, telling her to go back to the door.

A Loud Speaker

The person in the car was getting annoyed because they wanted to leave quickly. So, the woman went back to the house, checked around one more time, and then took the package… Suddenly, there was a big explosion sound. The woman screamed and ran back to the car so fast that her phone was left behind, and Arthur got hold of it. It was kind of like getting back at her for what she was trying to do. Arthur leaned back and smiled in a satisfied way. He couldn’t help but wonder about what he had just done.

Effective and Simple

Arthur’s box is really smart because it’s easy but effective. Inside the box, there’s a piece that stops a pin from shooting, and this pin is connected to a string tied to his doorknob. When the box is lifted or pulled, the piece moves and lets the pin set off a shotgun noise from a blank cartridge. But Arthur started to wonder: was what he did against the law?

Don’t Do This at Home

The rules in the state say that people can’t put together things that explode unless they have a special permit. The police spokesperson, Loretta Cool, mentioned that even though it’s a blank shot, the way Arthur’s device is set up is actually against the law. The police don’t think Arthur’s “Boom Box” idea is good. Loretta Cool also said, “If the person trying to take the package gets hurt, the person who owns the house would have to take responsibility.”

A Grey Area

“More than just Arthur doing something wrong, I’m not sure if everyone knows that, even if someone is taking things they shouldn’t, it’s not okay to plan for them to get hurt,” Cool explained. She also mentioned that what Arthur made, his trap, could also be considered a crime on its own. But whether the Porch Pirates could bring criminal charges against Arthur is a decision they would have to make… and so far, they haven’t done that.”

Totally Safe

Even though the box might seem really scary, Arthur says it’s actually very safe. He told the people asking questions that he tried it out many times, and he even put a ripe tomato inside to test it. “It never hurt me, not even once,” he said during an interview. “And the tomato inside didn’t get hurt either.” Plus, his contraption has tricked more than one thief into falling for it.

Kind Suggestions

But Arthur did mention that if anyone wanted to try what he did, they should be careful and think about the law first. He found out that it’s a good idea to put up a sign that says “no trespassing” and stick a note on the box, telling people not to touch the packages on the porch. This way, the homeowner might be safe from getting sued, and Arthur was aware of that.

Firmly Decided

Even though the police and the talk about the law might have stopped some folks from continuing with what Arthur did, he was determined to keep going. He had no plans to stop, especially when he was catching people right as they were trying to steal from him. He also believed his setup was very safe. And every time, his device showed that it worked really well.

Fairness

Arthur decided to use his trap once more, with the hope of teaching another thief a lesson. Just a few days later, he succeeded again. Everything happened just as he had expected. The man saw the porch, quickly ran to take the package… and then there was a loud noise. Arthur felt really happy and joked, “I know it’s not fancy, but a 12-gauge shotgun noise can be really scary.”

Getting Payback

Even though the police didn’t like Arthur’s Boom Box idea, they began to pay more attention to his complaints. After all, his invention managed to catch a surprising 20 people who were trying to steal. The police could easily find these people by looking at the recordings from his camera. While Arthur agrees that his solution isn’t flawless, he believes it has advantages that other solutions might not have.

You’ll Definitely Feel Better!

There’s no feeling quite like the one you get when you see a thief run away in fear from your yard! Arthur and the police even managed to find some of the Porch Pirates using the video footage from his door camera after they hurried away. As long as these thieves keep thinking Arthur’s porch is an easy target, his Boom Box will keep working. But the Boom Box wasn’t the only thing Arthur experimented with.

A Special Pair of Boots

Even though Arthur didn’t have a family, he had a furry friend named Boots, an 8-year-old male cat. Boots provided Arthur with companionship and comfort. He was a calm and loving cat, so when Arthur found out that Boots could assist in deterring porch pirates, he was happily surprised. But what exactly did Boots do?

Litter

Boots used the kitty litter in a clever way. Imagine the surprise of a thief opening a package, expecting to find something valuable, only to discover it’s filled with used kitty litter! While Arthur was trying out different ideas, he thought of using Boots’ kitty litter and putting it into an empty Amazon box he had at home. What happened next?

Things Don’t Go as Planned

Arthur peeked out of the window and saw a man approach his porch. The man quickly snatched the Amazon package, and Arthur couldn’t help but chuckle as the man walked away. However, a new issue arose. Arthur’s neighbor noticed his address on the package and found the open box a few blocks away. The man had opened the box and left it by the roadside. But there’s more to the story.

Unexpected

His neighbor read the note that Arthur had placed inside for the thief, and it didn’t take long for them to figure out Arthur’s plan. The note said, “Hi, you’re on camera. F-you thief. Hope you like cat crap.” The neighbor quickly understood what Arthur was attempting, as he had also been a victim of porch pirates. He shared the same strong dislike for them as Arthur did, but he also didn’t like seeing trash left on the street.

Neighborly Advice

The neighbor gave the prank box back to Arthur and suggested that he come up with a more effective idea for next time. He even told Arthur that when he came up with a better plan, he should share it so they could both use it. Arthur really listened to his neighbor’s advice and kept trying different things. He attempted to put garbage in the box, which ended up having the same outcome. Then he brainstormed something completely new.

Glitter Bombs

It was this idea that inspired his ultimate plan for the 12-gauge boom box. He decided to make a glitter bomb. Arthur blew up a balloon and put glitter and confetti inside it. He attached a pin to the inside of the box and made a mechanism so that when the box was opened, the glitter would burst out onto the thief’s clothes. However, things didn’t turn out the way he hoped…

Getting a Bit Messy

The glitter bomb idea was an improvement over using garbage and kitty litter because at least this prank affected the thief, but it still wasn’t as frightening as Arthur wanted it to be. The blanks in his boom box, though, solved that problem. However, all these prank attempts led to discussions online about morality. People debated whether it was justified to make thieves experience consequences just because Arthur was frustrated with his money being stolen.

A surprising Term

Some people who have been victims of porch theft believe that even the term “porch pirate” sounds too nice for these ordinary thieves. To many, they represent the worst kind of people in our society. This is especially true for Christine Hyatt, who, like Arthur, has her own experiences dealing with these kinds of criminals.

One more Victim

Right now, there’s a big problem in America with porch thieves stealing packages, and Christine Hyatt is one homeowner who has been deeply affected by them. Her situation is particularly tough because she has a daughter with diabetes. She depends on getting packages that contain important medical supplies for her child. Unfortunately, far too many times, the packages that hold equipment essential for her child’s health have been taken by thieves.

Medical Supplies

Christine has experienced the theft of more than 20 of her packages just this year. Out of those, six packages held crucial medical supplies for her daughter. These losses pushed her to become just as determined for revenge as Arthur, and she also set up various prank boxes to catch thieves. Their neighborhood has been hit particularly hard by porch thieves, and the problem was having a significant impact.

Curing a Plague

When a community is troubled by porch thieves, it quickly becomes a safety concern. If there are criminals who are bold enough to drive through your neighborhood during the day and specifically target your house, it raises questions about what else they might be capable of doing. This was a question that both Christine and Arthur had in their minds, and it played a significant role in their desire for revenge. However, not everyone shared the same perspective.

Defending Criminals

A Reddit discussion about this topic was quite interesting, with many people unexpectedly defending the porch thieves. One user commented, “Things might get serious if one of these robbers sues for PTSD.” Another person wrote, “I don’t understand this. You’re leaving your things outside. It’s not the thief’s fault if they choose to take it and see what’s inside.”

Some Flawed Logic

It seems that some individuals believe that if your belongings are outside your house, they’re fair game for anyone to take. However, this perspective is completely incorrect. If this were true, then by the same reasoning, parking our cars in our driveways or having chairs, lights, and plants in our yards could also be taken by anyone. The property of a homeowner includes everything within the borders of their home’s territory, including the front yard, backyard, and side yards.

A Failing System

For the most part, people online expressed a shared dislike for these thieves and a strong sense of frustration about how the authorities seemed unable to handle the situation effectively. This led many individuals, including Arthur and Christine, to believe they had no alternative but to handle the situation on their own and seek justice in their own way. But the question remains: what would you do in a similar situation?

What Could You Do?

Facing repeated thefts from porch pirates and feeling that your complaints to the police were going unanswered, would you be willing to take the chance of harming a thief to seek justice? Or would you explore alternative approaches? Ultimately, the best course of action is one that prioritizes safety and avoids legal trouble, ensuring that you don’t end up facing lawsuits as a result.

To ensure the confidentiality of the individuals portrayed, certain names, locations, and identifying details have been altered and are purely fictional creations. Any similarities to real events, places, or persons, whether alive or deceased, are purely coincidental.