How the Grinch stole...packages? Christmas porch pirate arrested in north Georgia

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office arrested the ‘Grinch’, who stole more than just packages.

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According to the sheriff’s office, several residents reported that packages were stolen from their front porches.

On Thursday, deputies conducted a traffic stop on a car matching the alleged porch pirate in the same location where a theft had just occurred and been reported.

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Dashcam video shows the moment, deputies arrested 20-year-old Tanaka Mangadze of Cumming.

The video also shows where open boxes from addresses across Forsyth County and surrounding counties were found in the back seat.

Merchandise worth hundreds of dollars was recovered in the car’s trunk, authorities said.

Before he could steal all the holiday spirit, Mangadze was taken to the Forsyth County Jail.

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“To all the Grinches (criminal individuals) that think their cute little masks will obstruct their identity, we see you. Sheriff Freeman says, if you are planning to be a porch pirate in Forsyth County, be prepared to walk our plank right into the Freeman Hotel! We have ZERO tolerance for your foolishness,” the sheriff’s office wrote.

The sheriff’s office wants to remind citizens that if you have packages being delivered this holiday season, make sure you retrieve them as quickly as possible. They recommend having a neighbor watch them or have some way to monitor your front door or porch area.

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