Man deploys 5-year-old boy as ‘porch pirate’ in package theft, Texas police say

A home security video shows a 5-year-old “porch pirate” swiping a package from outside a Canutillo, Texas, home in March, KVIA reports.

The video shows the pint-size thief taking a package left on a porch moments earlier by a delivery person and dashing to a nearby car with it, according to the station.

Christian Guzman, 26, of Canutillo now faces charges of theft and child endangerment following his July 18 arrest on a tip, KTSM reported. He’s accused of speeding off without properly securing the child, prompting the endangerment charge.

El Paso County Sheriff’s Department investigators say a still released from the security video resulted in the tip prompting his arrest, according to the station.

Investigators did not describe the relationship between Guzman and the child, The El Paso Times reported.

Guzman had earlier been arrested by U.S. marshals on suspicion of smuggling immigrants, according to the publication.

Canutillo, population 6,300, is northwest of El Paso, Texas.

This story was originally published July 30, 2019 at 4:48 PM.