Video: Woman accused of pilfering packages from Polk County porch planned on re-gifting items, deputies say
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd says a woman will likely spend Christmas behind bars after being arrested for stealing Amazon packages from a porch less than two weeks before the holiday.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Kensley Mott, who turns 33 on Saturday, followed an Amazon truck in the Sun Ridge subdivision and stole packages delivered to a porch between 12-12:30 p.m. on Monday.
Deputies say the victim's surveillance video showed a white female, later identified as Mott, dressed in black walking up to the porch and taking the boxes, then getting into a red truck. The victim also learned that one of his neighbors had an attempted package theft a week earlier, according to PCSO.
Detectives investigating the case discovered Mott worked at a Hungry Howie’s restaurant in the Wahneta area of Winter Haven. Officials say Mott was not working on Monday, but they found her there on Tuesday.
Investigators say Mott admitted to the thefts and told them she was planning on re-gifting the items at Christmas.
Kensley Mott mugshot courtesy of the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
According to Sheriff Judd, when deputies asked her to return the packages, so they could return them to their owners, she refused. According to Judd, When shown the doorbell footage of her stealing the packages, she responded, "what if it was someone else who just had my face?"
"Now she's got a red nose because she was crying at some point in time," Judd said at a press conference on Wednesday. "This is not ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.’ This is Kensley the red-nosed criminal. Locked up. Porch pirate."
"It's that time of year when porch pirates are most prevalent. If at all possible, have your packages delivered when someone will be home, to a friend or neighbor's home, or to your place of business. If not, invest in a security system that alerts you immediately when someone is on your porch. This prolific thief is probably going to spend Christmas behind bars this year," said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
Mott, who has a criminal history dating back to 2016, was charged with grand theft, felony petit theft and two counts of burglary of a dwelling.