Lyndhurst police: Porch pirate caught stealing package hides in a dumpster

Authorities say Jaquiece Smith hid in a commercial dumpster underneath garbage to try and hide from police after he ran away while discarding multiple packages.

Lanette Espy

Feb 7, 2024, 1:54 PM

Updated 309 days ago

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A man from Garfield who stole a package from someone's home in the middle of the day last week was caught hiding behind a dumpster in Lyndhurst, according to police.
Authorities say they arrested Jaquiece Smith, 35, after a school crossing guard called police around 3 p.m. on Jan. 24 to report they saw a man remove a package from the front porch of a home before he walked away.
Police say they spotted Smith discarding multiple packages as he ran off. They say Smith then hid in a commercial dumpster underneath garbage to try and hide from police. When police found Smith, he was arrested and charged with theft and obstruction.
Authorities say they also discovered another stolen package from another Lyndhurst resident that was linked to Smith.
Smith was taken to Bergen County Jail and charged with an additional count of theft.