Porch Pirate Makes Off With Denver Man's Irreplaceable Memorabilia

DENVER (CBS4) - It's a sight we've all seen before and a story told time and time again. You know the one… thieves taking packages off porches hoping to snag something valuable. Yet a box stolen from a Denver doorstep contained something truly priceless.

"It's sentimental… things I had growing up," Jim, who asked CBS4 not to share his last name, said. "Books, a teddy bear, there was a letter from my high school from playing sports, pictures from my high school prom. Some of the stuff goes back probably 45 years."

It was a box full of Jim's childhood memories his mother shipped for him to finally hold onto, but the items he treasured for decades were taken away in mere seconds.

"I know there are people that are less fortunate than others, so I feel bad that people have to resort to doing things like this," Jim said of the thief.

Jim explained that UPS informed his mother that the special delivery would arrive Tuesday. However, it landed on his porch four days early while he was out of town. Early Sunday morning, a home security camera captured the moments when a thief snagged not one, but two packages from Jim's porch.

"The second box was my wife's Christmas gift," he said.

Watching the security video is disappointing and disheartening for Jim, yet he pointed out he can buy his wife another present. But the items in the other package are irreplaceable.

"They probably have no value whatsoever, but for me it's just the few memories from when I was a kid, so it would just be nice to have," Jim said.

Jim is holding onto little hope that his box of memories will be found. He described the teddy bear was wearing baby clothes and the sports trophies are from Charlotte High School in Florida. A police report was filed, so anyone who may have information about the thief or the whereabouts of Jim's belongings should contact DPD.