Police say a person has been arrested on suspicion of stealing iPhones delivered to homes in the Metro Detroit area.
Troy police said the suspect, Johangel Martin Polanco Melo, 23, will be wearing an Amazon vest, a bucket hat and a surgical mask. He arrived shortly after the iPhone package was delivered to his home and approached the house with a small, empty package.
Police said Polanco-Mello often left empty, unlabeled boxes on doorsteps, took away iPhone boxes, and hid them under his vest when he returned to his car.
Multiple home surveillance systems captured images of the suspect and his vehicle, a silver Dodge Caravan with a paper license plate in the back window.
On Oct. 15, officers conducted a traffic stop. Troy police said in a social media post that Polanco-Mello was arrested on home surveillance footage wearing an Amazon vest, bucket hat and surgical mask. Officers removed several iPhones and several empty boxes from the caravan.
Polanco Mello was charged Oct. 17 in the 52nd District Court in Troy with two counts of theft between $1,000 and $20,000 and three counts of theft between $200 and $1,000. If convicted of each of these charges, he could spend up to 13 years in prison.
His bond was set at $50,000. It had not been posted as of Tuesday afternoon, according to online court records. Polanco-Mello’s next court appearance is scheduled for October 31 at 9:50 a.m.
Troy police said officers spoke with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who advised Polancomero that he was in the U.S. illegally and did not have residency status.
Police encouraged iPhone customers to arrange for a signature to be requested upon delivery or to pick it up at a retail store.
“This was a great job by our officers, but frankly the crime trend continues across our region,” Troy police posted.
MReinhart@DetroitNews.com
@Max_DetroitNews
