Two juveniles learned the reward for porch pirating really “Depends” on what the victim ordered, and adult undergarments are not high on a child’s wish list. Conversely, the reward of a brain freeze prompted witnesses to divulge the information to solve the case.

On April 10th Deputy S.A. Hensley responded to a South Stafford neighborhood for a complaint of packages stolen from front porches. Several residents reported items stolen from their doorstep and one resident provided surveillance video of a suspect.

The suspect in the video appeared to be a juvenile and had a hood obscuring her head and face, but was wearing distinctive shoes. Deputy Hensley began a canvas of the neighborhood to identify the suspect.

A stop at the local playground revealed numerous potential witnesses. Unfortunately, they were reluctant to provide information until Deputy Hensley sweetened the deal. The offer of a Slurpee for information leading to the identity of the suspect led to a long line of potential informants. 911 gets the attention of law enforcement, but a 711 Slurpee got the attention of the playground.

Deputy Hensley quickly obtained the names of two preteen suspects and paid a visit to their home. The youngsters provided a confession and escorted Deputy Hensley to the stolen items which were discarded in the woods. The ill-gotten goods included adult undergarments, dog treats, and a dress shirt. The children repackaged the pilfered parcels in their original boxes and delivered them to the correct addresses with an apology.

Deputy Hensley made good on the Slurpee for his helper and purchased a bag of fun-sized candy bars for the other children on the playground. This case was handled informally without any charges and the cooperative parent will be handling the discipline. We love stories with a sweet ending. Oh thank Heaven for 7-Eleven! Thank you Deputy Hensley for making a “cold case” out of these “hot goods.”