LOS ANGELES – Police arrested a 20-year-old suspected package thief shortly after video taken by a Los Angeles-area homeowner circulated on social media, generating more than a million views on KTLA’s Facebook page in less than 24 hours.
Alhambra police provided video of a woman seen trying to steal packages from a home on May 10, 2016.
On Thursday morning, the Alhambra Police Department shared cellphone video recorded by an unidentified homeowner as he confronted a woman trying to take two packages from his front porch.
The woman, whose face was clearly shown in the video, claimed that her mother lived in the home.
When the man insisted it was indeed his home, and the packages were his, she dropped the boxes and fled.
The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon at a home near Valley Boulevard and New Avenue, police said.
On Friday afternoon, police Sgt. Jerry Johnson confirmed that an arrest had been made.
Rianna Medina is shown in a booking photo provided by the Alhambra Police Department on May 13, 2016.
Rianna Medina, 20, of Montebello, was booked on suspicion of one count of felony grand theft, police said on Facebook. Her bail has been set at $25,000.
She was taken into custody without incident after being found through social media tips and “old fashion police work” at a motel in Rosemead about 1 p.m. Friday, according to an Alhambra police Facebook post.
She is due in court for arraignment on May 17, police said.
Medina’s name matches that repeatedly mentioned by viewers on KTLA’s Facebook page Thursday.
“The Alhambra Police Department would like to thank everyone who assisted us with this investigation by calling in tips and providing information through social media,” the department said on Facebook Friday. “The public’s cooperation greatly assisted our detectives in identifying and locating this suspect.”
The video has been viewed on the Alhambra police Facebook page nearly 500,000 times, and more than 1.6 million times on KTLA’s Facebook page.
