Woman made 6-year-old boy act as porch pirate, deputies say

(CNN)

DELTONA, Fla. – Law enforcement officers in Florida arrested a woman accused of involving a 6-year-old boy in a burglary scheme.

Deputies say she drove the child up to a house where a package had been dropped off, so that he could steal it off of the front porch, WKMG reported.

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The incident was caught on surveillance video, and police say that helped them find suspect Santana Lindsey, 20.

In the video, a car with tinted windows pulls up to a home and a child gets out of the back seat and snatches the Amazon package while presumably an adult up front waits in the driveway.

A resident who asked to remain unidentified told WKMG, "It was frustrating and aggravating especially when I realized it was a little kid that they had come out of the car to go grab the package."

The man didn’t want to be identified for fear of retribution. 

He said he was supposed to get a $30 battery for his garage door opener from Amazon.

"I heard the doorbell ring while I was eating lunch so I figured I'd wait and go get it afterwards,” he said. “A couple hours later I came out to get it and the package was gone."

He added, "I work hard for my money and then they come and steal it -- and then I see that they're teaching their kid to steal. I think that's terrible."

Volusia County deputies are asking everyone to pick up packages the second they arrive or have them delivered to a nearby locker or hidden out of the view of potential thieves. 

"I know I saw the car drive down the street, and I saw him drive slowly down, looking into the houses,” the resident said. “(They) stopped in front of the house so I know (they) saw the package. Then they drove around the block, came back and then he had the kid go out and get it. So I know that they were doing this probably all day, so I'm sure I wasn't the only one that got stolen from." 

Lindsey is facing charges including child neglect and principal to burglary.

Police say the boy in the video is a child the woman routinely cares for, but no details about their relationship were provided.

The package was returned to the owner.