Anguish for Denver Mom as Porch Pirate Steals Package of Baby Formula

A porch pirate has struck again, this time stealing a newborn baby's much-needed formula in a Denver home. According to ADT, porch pirate is a term used to refer to people who steal packages from other people's homes.

Katie Curler had Henry, her first and only son, just about five months ago. Curler calls him her in vitro fertilization miracle boy, and like many parents and caregivers, she has been going through a lot of difficulties trying to find formula to feed him during this major nationwide shortage.

Curler said that it has definitely been frustrating not knowing where the next box of formula is going to be or when is it going to get back in stock. Curler's mother-in-law luckily found some formula in the state of Florida and had them shipped to their home in Denver.

Porch pirate strikes within 30 minutes of delivery

Video showed the box being dropped off by a UPS delivery guy to their porch. Unfortunately for Curler, a porch pirate turned up on their place, grabbing the formula within 30 minutes of the package's delivery.

Curler was emotional when talking about the theft, telling KDVR "They don't know what's in there. They are just stealing to steal it. I get it, it's tough times for everyone right now, but to blatantly just steal something off someone's porch, it is just really sad."

Curler's frustration with the thief is understandable, but she is more upset with how UPS left the formula package in her porch. The video showed the delivery employee leaving the package in the sun, at the very edge of Curler's front porch. The employee placed it in a visible spot, and not in front of her door.

Curler said that when you see the video, it is really frustrating to see that they could have walked it up a couple more steps and not put it in plain sight. Curler added that trying to file a claim with UPS is really frustrating as well, saying "They are saying to file a claim with who sent it to get a refund. Well, I'm not asking my mother-in-law for a refund, and I can't file a claim from the CVS in Florida where she found the formula. So, we're just kind of stuck."

Read Also: FDA Says Infant Formula Maker Abbott Nutrition to Release Certain Products on a Case-by-Case Basis 

Community helps Curler with baby formula problem

FOX31 Problem Solvers helped Curler with her problem, with the media outlet sending UPS the video. The shipping company replied immediately, saying "Thank you for bringing this to our attention. UPS employees receive regular training on the company's methods to safely deliver packages. We will take appropriate action to retrain our driver and resolve the issue with our customer."

There is some good news, though, as Curler has managed to find the beauty of her community in the midst of her frustration with this formula saga. After Curler posted on community groups about what had happened to her, a number of moms have reached out to donate or help her find more formula for her baby.

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