RENTON, Wash. — KIRO 7 got surveillance video of the stranger swiping a box moments after it was dropped off.
A baby girl will have one less birthday gift on Sunday.
But it might be easy to track down the thief.
Home surveillance video shows a man leaving his car door open, casually walking up to a house in lower Kennydale on Thursday, and taking what's not his.
KIRO 7 searched and found the homeowner, who asked not to show his face, out of fear.
"It was a little bit scary because my wife was actually home at the time, and if she would've opened the door when he was taking the package, I don't know what would've happened," said the man, who wished to remain anonymous.
What the thief didn't know was that inside the box were gifts for a baby girl.
The homeowner is friends with little Livia's parents and bought the items to celebrate her first birthday this weekend.
"We were just angry,” said Livia’s mother, Manda Lee. “I mean, I know that it's a 1-year-old gift and it probably wasn't that much, but it was the whole thought that counted that they took that away."
The victim hopes the public will recognize the crook’s car - a red, 1990s model Nissan 300 ZX convertible.
According to the homeowner, the car is pretty rare.
It's common for package thieves to follow delivery trucks.
In this case, he struck about two minutes after the delivery was made.
Lee said there was one piece of good news.
"Thankfully, Nordstrom was willing to replace the gift," she said.
Unfortunately, the gift won't get there in time for her daughter's party.
The holiday season leads to a spike in thefts of packages left on people's front doors.
Experts urge members of the public to require a signature -- especially since many delivery employees don't knock anymore.
Requiring a signature will ensure the package won't just be left on your doorstep.
KIRO
