ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) – An accused porch pirate in St. Petersburg might have thought stealing things from other people’s homes would make her holidays brighter — but that didn’t quite pan out.
Colleen Alicea, 38, is spending her Christmas behind bars. Dressed in an orange jumpsuit, she made her first appearance before a judge on two additional petit theft charges on Christmas morning.
St. Pete police officers first arrested Alicea on Dec. 11, after she allegedly stole a white envelope containing an Apple watch wristband off of a porch on Burlington Avenue on Nov. 9.
That same day, officers charged her with another petit theft, accusing her of stealing an Amazon package containing $100 worth of items from a porch on 39th Street South on Dec. 4.
While Alicea remained in jail, detectives continued investigating, and continued linking her to other crimes.
On Dec. 16, investigators tacked on another charge of burglary to an unoccupied dwelling. That case stems from an incident at a home on 14th Avenue South in October. Authorities say Alicea entered through the gate and stole a lawnmower. The arrest affidavit indicates DNA recovered from the gate latch linked her to the crime.
Fast forward to Christmas Eve and Alicea is still sitting in jail, and just received word that she’s now facing two additional petit theft charges. On Dec. 9, the arrest report indicates she stole a package from a home on 31st Street South. The next day she allegedly stole a package from a porch on 19th Avenue South.
During this morning’s first appearance, Judge Raymond Gross read the arrest affidavits, and commented on the Dec. 9 case.
“It’s alleged on the ninth that you went to a residence and removed property, a package containing six light bulbs,” Gross said. “Not exactly a big haul.”
Michelle Zinn is one of Alicea’s alleged victims.
“I’m sitting at work and I’m watching her and I’m like, ‘I don’t know her,’ and I watched her walk away,” said Zinn. “But then five minutes later she came back grabbed my shoes and just walked. “
Zinn had special ordered those shoes for an upcoming special occasion.
“I needed those for a wedding and I was so upset. But it was weird. I watched her do it,” said Zinn. “I watched her knock on my front door.”
Zinn was relieved when she learned Alicea had been arrested, and this accused porch pirate wouldn’t be pillaging again, any time soon.
“I was so excited. I was like, ‘yes!’ Finally, justice. “
Alicea is being held in jail on a $17,000 bond.
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