Package deliveries – and package thefts -- go up during the holidays.
Surveillance video catches what at first looks like an ordinary package theft, but then a Snohomish County nanny takes matter into her own hands.
Kate Anderson nannies a 1-year-old in Everett.
On Tuesday, video shows the Smith household getting an Amazon delivery around 10:45 a.m.
Ten minutes later, the Ring surveillance camera on the house catches a car rolling up. And out the window, Kate sees a woman.
“I saw her bending and picking it up, and they get a lot of packages. And I knew. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, she's taking that,’ so I just took off after her, to be honest,” Kate said.
The camera catches an incredible sequence of events. As the woman is trying to get back in the car, the car speeds away, and the woman falls out onto the sidewalk at the end of the driveway.
The woman gets up and tries to run away, but Kate is already out the door chasing after the woman. On the video, you can hear her shouting.
“Hey what the *beep* are you doing? Hey you *beep* piece of *beep* what are you trying to steal?”
Kate eventually half-tackles, half-pulls the woman to the ground.
“Get off me!” you can hear the woman shout.
Kate keeps on restraining the suspect and shouts to someone walking by.
“Call the police, she just stole something from my house!”
“It was intense,” Kate said.
In the video, she keeps holding on to the woman.
“I didn't do anything!” the suspect shouts.
“Yes you did!” Kate said. “I *beep* saw you, you know we got security cameras on this house, don’tcha?”
At one point, the suspect tries to run away again.
“I am not letting you go!” Kate shouts.
Tanya Smith is the homeowner, mom, and Kate’s friend.
“She’s just like a straight baller, she's amazing and doesn't take any crap from anybody,” Tanya said.
About eight minutes later, the Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies arrive and arrest the woman.
The sheriff’s office identifies the suspect as Rhieanna Schindler, 29, of Everett. The sheriff’s office says she had outstanding warrants for drug possession and theft, and has been arrested more than 20 times since 2010.
The sheriff’s office says it does not recommend apprehending or tackling a package thief suspect, and says in this case, it's lucky no one got hurt.
Kate says she was shaken up by what happened, but would do it again?
“I think I would,” she said, laughing. “I didn't ever feel like she was a threat to me. So I think I would've handled it the same way, yes, because it’s just not OK to go around doing that. It’s so not OK with me,” she said.
“It’s pretty amazing what she did, I'm very proud of her, and I’m not surprised,” Tanya said.
The package that left with the getaway car was filled with stuff for the 1-year-old, Desmond, who slept through the whole thing.
The sheriff’s office says though it doesn’t condone what Kate did, it wants her to know – they are hiring.
About the Author
