Call it a coupon caper.
A thrifty thief keeps stealing the coupon packet from the Sunday editions of various newspapers in Denton County.
James Johnson said the crook hits his newspaper boxes about 25 times a week.
The trouble started six months ago, but the last six weeks have been the worst for Johnson. The thefts got so bad, he hired a helper to watch over his boxes on Sunday morning.
"He'll sit in another parking lot with binoculars, watching to see what's going on because we keep getting hit constantly, " he said.
The extra eyes are helping -- he has turned over 11 thieves to police officers.
"Three weeks ago, I caught a girl [who] said she just moved from L.A., and it was no big deal in L.A.," Johnson said shaking his head. "[I] had a guy, he'd steal everything in town -- one guy alone. He was driving a Cadillac Escalade."
Johnson said the coupon packets can offer savings from $180 to more than $400, making it tempting for thieves interesting in pinching pennies. And some thieves sell the coupons online to other coupon-cutters, he said.
But Johnson also has another theory on why thieves target coupon packets -- inspiration from TLC's "Extreme Couponing," a reality show that chronicles the lengths extreme coupon-cutters will go to get deals.
"Well, here they (the show) started up again, so for the last six weeks, it's just been a constant," he said. "I can go up and down, and every rack is the same way -- open it up [and] no plastics."
Johnson said if a coupon packet is not in a newspaper, he can't sell it. That costs him money.
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Denton police spokesman Officer Ryan Grelle said some people try to skirt the rules of buying a newspaper when no one is watching.
"When you put your cash in, whether it be 50 cents, 25 cents or a $1.50 for the Sunday, the rule
is one paper," Grelle said.
The crime may seem petty, but it carries a fine that can cost you money or jail time.
