Some SoCal residents have come up with a creative, but smelly, way to fight back against mail thieves. Marin Austin reports for the NBC4 News at 5 and 6 p.m. on Dec. 23, 2015.
Michaela Roekle has always taught her children that there is a moral to every story.
So with two days until Christmas, Roekle, who has had her mail stolen from her Corona, California, home six times in the past year, has decided to make this a teaching moment for kids, and for the thieves.
"We're hoping they get a nice surprise when they open these up in their car," she said.
With help from her dog and 2-year-old son Brayven, Roekle has placed fake packages on her doorstep.
"We filled the packages with piles of our dog's poo and dirty diapers from our toddler." Next, she seals the boxes, and then, she waits.
The idea came from Facebook, where 38 people have joined a group called "Package of Poop On The Porch Week," started by a Corona resident.
More than 23 million Americans have had packages stolen from their doorsteps, according to new statistics released by insurancequotes.com.
U.S. & World
But, a United States Post Office spokesperson says there are other ways to handle the situation, like requiring a signature on your deliveries, or alerting police if your packages are stolen.
Corona Police told NBC4 Wednesday that thieves caught stealing fake packages can't be arrested since the packages have no monetary value.
"We're just trying to show justice," Roekle said.
The moral of the story?
"You don't steal, it's very simple."
