Retired Miami police sergeant nabs package thief

Rafael Vazquez accused of stealing package outside Kendall home

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Police said they have arrested a man who was caught on surveillance video stealing a package from outside a retired police detective's home in Kendall.

According to police, the thief parks his car across the street from a middle school where he picks up his son.

When the final bell rang and class let out Monday, he got his son and pulled into a driveway minutes after he had seen a UPS truck make a delivery.

At one point, he gets out of the car and talks on his cellphone.

"I believe he's trying to blend in to maybe look like he's trying to contact his child and let him know this is where I'm at," Miami-Dade police Detective Linda Cowgill said.

The homeowner said he saw someone walk by his front window.

"And before I get to the door, he's walking back the other way with a package in his hand," retired Sgt. Rick Cosner said. "So I walk to the door (and) went out. By the time I got out here, he was already starting to get in the car and they were driving away."

Cosner worked for the Miami Police Department for 23 years.  He said he went after the thief.

"He was saying that the package was in my flower bed on the driveway and he saw it and he was worried because all the kids were out here and thought one of them was going to walk away with the package," Cosner told Local 10 News crime specialist John Turchin.

"You didn't buy that, did you?" Turchin asked.

"No," Cosner said.

Rafael Vazquez was taken into custody after Cosner called police.

"He's a deer in headlights," Cosner said. "He got caught, and he was trying to make up a story. The sad part was he had kids in the back seat -- young kids -- and they're watching this."

As for the contents of the package, Cosner said it was just a couple of boxes for index cards, worth $3 a piece.

Here are some tips to prevent package thefts:

- Have packages delivered to your office or ensure that you will be home when the delivery is made.

- Request that the sender require a signature confirmation.

- If making a purchase from a large retailer, request that the package be delivered to your nearest store.

- Provide instructions to the sender asking that the package is left at a safe location at your home where it will be out of sight, such as a back porch.

Follow John Turchin on Twitter @johnturchin

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10


About the Author:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.