Porch Pirate To Be Charged With Theft, DA Says

This woman — later identified as Kelli Russell by authorities — was the talk of Lakewood after security camera after security camera has caught her taking packages from porches.

Your boxes of dog poop are a little safer today — the Dallas County District Attorney’s office said the alleged Lakewood (and parts surrounding Lakewood) Porch Pirate has turned herself in to authorities and will be charged with theft.

A statement released by the DA today said that Kelli Renee Russell, 33, will be charged with theft over $2,500, which is a state jail felony carrying a maximum sentence of two years and a fine not to exceed $10,000. 

The action of turning herself in should not be construed as an admission of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

“Russell turned herself in to authorities today,” the release said, adding that prosecutors requested a cash surety bond of $50,000 and an electronic monitoring device.

“The judge set a $10,000 personal recognizance bond with an electronic monitoring device,” the release said.

In the coming days, Dallas police are expected to formally file the theft case with the DA.

“I want to thank the Dallas Police Department for their hard work,” DA Faith Johnson said. “Once the case is formally received from the Dallas Police Department, my prosecutors will begin their work to ensure that justice is served.”

“When our safety and sense of security in our own homes is threatened, those responsible need to be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

Dallas police arrested Russell on Jan. 11 in the 4900 block of Lancaster Road for multiple traffic violations. The stop was made police received a tip that Russell matched the description of the person caught in several videos stealing packages.

“The suspect was arrested for those traffic violations and taken in for questioning,” Dallas Police Department public information officer Debra Webb said. “Detectives then executed a search warrant at her residence and found a large amount of stolen packages.”

Russell’s alleged antics captured public attention after one homeowner put a bait box of dog excrement on her porch to see if it would be stolen after several other packages had been stolen from her porch by a blond woman captured in the homeowner’s Ring doorbell camera.