Community Corner

Salem Package Thief Caught on Video [VIDEO]

A Mason Street man is hoping this surveillance footage will help prevent other package thefts in Salem.

When Salem resident Bill Bushong's pet bird started getting into mischief by sticking its head throught the bars of it's birdcage, he knew it was time to order a new one.

So, right before Christmas, Bushong went online and arranged to have a $300, 64-pound birdcage delivered to his home on Mason Street.

Unfortunately, when the packaged arrived, Bushong realized that the company sent him a cage that was too large - so he left it on his front porch to be picked up as a return package.

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That was the last time he saw it.

When Bushong returned from a business trip and saw that the package was gone, he called the pet supply company to confirm that a new birdcage was on its way and received word that the first one never shipped.

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It was when he reviewed surveillance footage from a camera mounted on his front porch that Bushong realized the package had been pilfered - and he was shocked to see that it was stolen in broad daylight.

"To do this at 12:59 in the afternoon, in broad daylight, tells me it isn’t her first time," Bushong said of the thief he caught on video.

At 1:31 p.m. Christmas day, Salem police officers responded to Bushong's house to discuss the theft, according to that morning's police log post.

"My guess is that this person thought it was a flat-screen TV or something since the box looks similar," Bushong said. "And at 60-70 pounds (65 to be exact), it feels about right as well."

In an attempt to prevent other city residents from falling victim to similar thefts, Bushong was nice enough to send along the surveillance footage captured by his front porch camera.

Have you been the victim of a similar crime in Salem? Let us know in the comments section below.


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