Cops: Christmas Gift Thieves Nabbed

Sticky-fingered Christmas gift thieves have gotten caught in the act, according to Riverhead Town police.

Riverhead Town police said they received several reports of UPS packages being removed from the front porches of homes in the Wading River area.

One of the thefts, police said, was captured on a home surveillance system and handed over to the police department.

The video, police said, led to the identification of two suspects, who were arrested on Tuesday.

Police said Lillian Kirchberger, 42, and Teresa Doige, 42, both of whom are from Mattituck and live in the same residence in Eastward Court, were arrested; each woman was charged with three counts of petit larceny.

Earlier in December, two sticky-fingered Scrooges paid a visit to an Aquebogue home -- and stole the presents off the front porch.

Aquebogue resident Brenda Green, who lives on Edgar Avenue, near the Aquebogue Elementary school, said her 15-year-old daughter came home from school and noticed four packages on the front porch.

Her daughter, who was home alone, did not bring the packages inside immediately, Green said. Approximately 45 minutes later, her daughter looked out the window and saw an old blue station wagon pulling into the driveway.

Suspects ran to the porch, grabbed the packages, which contained Christmas presents, and sped away, Green said.

Riverhead Town police confirmed that on Dec. 4 at 3:28 p.m., two unknown middle-aged women removed several packages from Green's porch and left the area in an unknown blue station wagon.

The experience, Green said, has put a damper on her family's holiday spirit. "It was very scary. My daughter was definitely shaken by it."

Also, according to Suffolk County Police, an off-duty New York State Trooper allegedly spotted Albert Munoz and Freddy Benavides, Jr. stealing a package from the doorstep of a home in Bay Shore. The trooper called Suffolk County Police; third precinct patrol officer Arthur Martrano arrested Munoz and Benavides on Dec. 4 at 3:15 p.m. when the suspects pulled into the United States Post Office in Bay Shore.

Further investigation revealed that the suspects were allegedly following a UPS truck around the Bay Shore area and stole the packages after they were left on the doorsteps, police said. An Apple EarPod, Apple iPad Mini case, and two pairs of Skechers sneakers were reportedly recovered.

Munoz, 21, of Bay Shore, was charged with two counts of criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree, and one count of unlawful possession of marijuana. Benavides, 20, of Brentwood, was charged with two counts of criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree.