Thieves steal 138 packages from apartment building’s mailroom

BOSTON (WCVB) - Thieves in Boston took “porch pirating” to a new extreme after they stole nearly 140 packages from an apartment building’s mailroom, and the people who live there want better security.

The mailroom at the apartment building J VUE in Roxbury is busy with 289 units and loads of packages delivered, with even more expected for the holiday season.

But Boston police said up to 138 packages were stolen Tuesday night.

“It is frustrating. Being a student, getting a package missing is very frustrating,” an unidentified resident of the apartment complex said.

Police said the building’s concierge reported all 138 packages delivered Tuesday were missing Wednesday morning.

Video surveillance shows a man breaking into a secured room where packages are kept. In the video, it appears he opened the control panel in order to get access to the room. Two other men follow, and all three remove packages from the room.

They’re seen returning a short time later and taking even more.

Residents said the building uses an app to notify them when packages are delivered, and tenants then get a code to access the room.

The police report says that residents reported issues with the system on Tuesday.

“It was so frustrating because it was a gift and, you know, it was meant for someone else,” one of the residents, Jayna Varghese, said.

Varghese said two weeks ago, one of her packages was stolen from the same room. She filed a report with police and wants the building to beef up security.

“It’s not monitored safely enough to know that, you know, as courtesy people hold the doors open. But if there’s security footages in the building, like, there needs to be precautions taken,” Varghese said.

The building’s ownership and management company has not responded yet to a request for comment.