Watch: ‘Porch pirate’ steals package with child’s medical equipment in Kansas City
A Kansas City family said security video shows a porch pirate swiping a package that contained a piece of their toddler’s life-saving medical equipment Saturday.
Security footage from Susana Elizarraraz’s home showed a person grab the package from outside a fence around 5:40 p.m. Saturday, run back to a white SUV and drive off. Elizarraraz said she received an alert around 11:30 a.m. that the package had been delivered, but the family didn’t get home until about 6:30 p.m. after a wedding.
While the “porch pirate” may have thought they got away with something valuable, Elizarraraz said the package contained part of a medical device that allows her 1-year-old son Carlos to breathe.
“I think that’s one of the most frustrating things is that the person probably thought this would be of value to them or someone else,” Elizarraraz said. “What porch pirates don’t realize is that people are getting life-saving equipment, prescription medications that are being mailed to their door that aren’t necessarily of value to someone who doesn’t have that condition.”
Carlos was born with genetic differences that made it impossible for him to breathe, Elizarraraz said. Her son spent two weeks in the NICU at Children’s Mercy before doctors determined he needed a tracheotomy.
He now has a trache to help him breathe and a gastrotomy tube to help him eat and drink. About once a month, the family receives deliveries of parts and equipment, she said.
The stolen part works within a portable suction machine that helps remove phlegm and secretions from Carlos’ throat and lungs, which clears his trache and allows him to breathe. On a normal day, Elizarraraz said they use the machine 10 to 15 times. If Carlos is sick, the machine is used about 20 to 25 times a day, she said.
Elizarraraz said the family is lucky they’ve stocked up on additional parts in case of potential mishaps. Otherwise, the stolen part could have turned into a medical emergency. Since this part is covered by insurance, Elizarraraz may try to find a replacement, but she said the family pays some of Carlos’ medical expenses out of pocket, and not all families have coverage for the equipment.
“I can’t even imagine if this was something we were paying out of pocket and then it was stolen,” she said. “It would be such a worse situation than our situation.”
The family decided not to report the incident to police. Elizarraraz said they’ve reported issues in the past when items were stolen or there were squatters in their home, but were told they couldn’t be helped unless someone’s life was in “imminent danger,” she said.
She also noticed that a license plate wasn’t visible in the security footage, leaving officers with only a general idea of what the suspect looked like. Elizarraraz said she felt that made it unlikely police would find the person who stole the part.
Sgt. Jake Becchina, a spokesman with the Kansas City Police Department, said the Elizarrarazes may have been told their previous calls weren’t life-threatening, but generally the organization encourages people to call when there is an incident.
The department has a call prioritization system, Becchina said, so that the most pressing calls are dispatched accordingly.
Anyone can make a theft report by calling a police station or reporting the incident on the police department’s website, Becchina said. Not all calls require an officer to do a home visit, he said.
From now on, Elizarraraz said she’ll talk with delivery drivers to ask they not leave packages on the porch, even if that means she must pick them up at a secure location elsewhere.
“We’d be happy to pick up elsewhere because we know that some of his deliveries will be medical supplies,” she said. “Unfortunately, you live and you learn.”
This story was originally published August 30, 2022 at 3:57 PM.
