Man holding baby steals box of toys off Upper Darby porch

UPPER DARBY, Pa. (WPVI) -- It's a crime of opportunity that happens often during the holiday season - packages left on doorsteps only to be swiped by a thief.

It's already happened in Upper Darby and police say the alleged thief used a baby in his arms as a cover.

"These bums are perusing the neighborhood. When they see it, they follow the trucks. When the trucks drop it off, 9 times out of 10, nobody's home because most of the people are working," Superintendent Michael Chitwood said.

Surveillance cameras captured the latest package theft.

A UPS driver knocked on the door at a home on the 7000 block of Greenwood Avenue.

No one answered so he left the package as instructed by the home owner.

"The delivery services are doing their job, they knock on the door, nobody's home, they leave the package," Chitwood said.

The box was full toys for the holiday season.

A man two doors down can be seen in the video scoping out the delivery man, watching his every move.

Just minutes after the driver left, the man appeared onto his neighbors' porch.

He took a look around and then swiped the package.

Police say all this occurred while he was juggling a baby in his other hand.

"The thing that bothers me about this one is the little baby in that video. He never let's go and uses the baby as a cover to steal," Chitwood said.

The camera got a good look at the man's face and police want to get him off the streets.

Investigators say this is a warning for homeowners to remember tis the season for thieves.

Clothes, jewelry, toys can be gone in seconds.

Upper Darby police say theft has been a big problem along Greenwood Avenue because of increased drug use.

"I think now more than ever before with the heroin problem being what it is these addicts will steal anything," Chitwood said.