Christmas deliveries targeted by thieves
BILL BULEY | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 15 years AGO
Bill Buley covers the city of Coeur d'Alene for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He has worked here since January 2020, after spending seven years on Kauai as editor-in-chief of The Garden Island newspaper. He enjoys running. | December 21, 2010 8:00 PM
COEUR d'ALENE - As Cynthia Marlette was driving away from her home Friday afternoon, she watched the delivery truck as it entered her neighborhood.
She didn't think too much more about it until the next day when police called.
The remains of a package delivered to her home and left on the porch ended up in a neighbor's trash can blocks away. What had been inside, a quilt made by Marlette's mother, was gone.
"The loss of this quilt is devastating," she said. "My mom worked over the course of a year hand quilting it."
The Marlette home on Ocean Avenue was one of about 10 where packages left on porches Friday were stolen. The homes were in the north area of Coeur d'Alene, including Parkwood Court, Pacific Drive, Isabella Drive and Christopher Drive.
More than $4,000 worth of merchandise and checks were reported stolen, according to a police report.
Many of the shipping boxes and invoices were found in and near an alley garbage can Saturday by a resident, who called police. None of the victims were aware of the thefts until contacted by police.
The Kootenai County Sheriff's Department reported packages were also stolen in the Grouse Meadows subdivision, less than five minutes from the area between Ramsey Road and U.S. 95 near Lake City High School that was targeted by thieves on Friday.
Marlette said the quilt was a wedding gift for her daughter, who is getting married at the end of the month. It has the words "peace," "joy," and "love" in the middle of each quilt block. The back of the quilt has a message for Amanda and her future husband, Danny, sewn onto it.
"We would love to get it back," Marlette said.
Police remind residents to watch for any suspicious vehicles or persons in their neighborhoods.
If they suspect someone is following a package delivery vehicle or checking out their neighborhood, they should call police.
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