A local New York police commissioner says growing frustration over the uptick in petty theft has led to good Samaritan citizens interfering with police efforts.
This week in Westchester County, New York, for example, a good Samaritan in Yonkers helped stop and restrain a suspected "porch pirate" who was running away from law enforcement.
Francisco Jose Eder Mateo, 27, of the Bronx in New York City was knocked to the ground by a city worker who got out of his vehicle as the suspected thief attempted to run past him, footage released by authorities shows.
A Yonkers police officer quickly arrested Eder Mateo as the good Samaritan helped to pin him down.
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According to a New York Post report, the pursuit began around 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 3 when Eder Mateo was allegedly caught on Ring doorbell video stealing a couple of packages in front of a door.
The homeowner was not home but saw the footage from his phone and called police.
"I just saw somebody on my Ring camera steal two packages," the homeowner said, according to audio released from the department.
Yonkers police released bodycam video of a city police officer asking Eder Mateo to stop as he walked on a residential sidewalk before the alleged thief bolted.
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But Eder Mateo didn’t get far before the public works employee made the tackle, with officers right behind.
"This video shows what happens when everyone works together seamlessly to stop crime," Yonkers police wrote in a press release.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Yonkers Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza said there's a "palpable frustration" among citizens about the recent uptick in property crimes, leading some to interfere with police work.
"There’s a palpable frustration with property crimes in general, whether it’s shoplifting, larcenies, stolen vehicles, a number of things we've seeing lately," said Sapienza.
While Sapienza says he appreciates the assistance of good Samaritans, "[A]t the same time, we don’t want to put civilians in a precarious situation."
"We’re trained and equipped to handle these types of situations," he said.
Sapienza said Yonkers is still grappling with "post-COVID lawlessness" and newly passed state legislation that makes it more difficult to cut down on crime.
"We don’t believe in small crimes here in Yonkers. We believe that every crime is important. We’ve seen that small crimes turn into bigger crimes," he said.
But new measures like bail reform and raising the age of criminal liability "make it harder to do our job and keep people in jail," Sapienza said.
"To any future thieves planning to commit these crimes in Yonkers – pick somewhere else. Our residents, Officers, and City employees will not stand by and allow you to victimize people in this City," Yonkers police wrote.
Eder Mateo was charged with fourth-degree grand larceny and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, both felonies, police said.
