Alleged Porch Thief Arrested for String of Abington Package Thefts

On June 8, 2018, a resident of Douglas Ave. in the Elkins Park section of Abington Township reported that an Amazon package was stolen from their front porch. The thief, pictured below, fled the area in a Honda CRV with a loud muffler, according to the Abington Police Department.

Photo from Abington Township Police

On June 11, 2018, packages were stolen from additional homes in the Elkins Park section of Abington Township, including the 200 block of Cedar Rd. and the 300 block of Rolling Hill Rd. An investigation was conducted, which included information received from the public, and the suspect was identified as 31 year old Jose Velez, from the 800 block of Tyson Ave. in Philadelphia. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and on June 13, Velez was arrested outside of his home by Philadelphia Police and was turned over to Abington Police. Velez was released on unsecured bail and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for June 27.