Prosecutors charge woman with taking packages from Alhambra home

By Joseph Serna

May 17, 2016 12:45 PM PT

Authorities have charged a 20-year-old woman they say was caught on video attempting to steal packages from a man’s doorstep in Alhambra, Los Angeles County prosecutors said Tuesday.

Alhambra police say they identified Rianna Medina as the woman in the video, based on tips and social media posts. Police apprehended Medina at a Rosemead motel about 1 p.m. Friday, the department said on its Facebook page.

“The public’s cooperation greatly assisted our detectives,” police said.

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Medina was charged with felony second degree commercial burglary, identity theft and grand theft of personal property. Authorities say she used a fake ID to check into the motel Thursday after the attempted theft.

Images of the package thief appeared on social media Thursday after an Alhambra resident confronted her for stealing his packages and recorded the entire exchange on his cellphone, police said. He then turned the video over to police, who distributed it to the media asking for help in identifying the suspect.

The 21-second video began when the resident had just pulled up in his car as a woman walked down his front walkway with two large boxes in her arms.

“You know I live here,” the man said. “If I were you, I’d put that down.”

“Why?” she replied.

“Because those are my stuff,” he said. “I live here.”

“No you don’t, my mom lives here,” the woman replied.

“I’m going to call the police on you,” the man calmly replied.

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The woman immediately dropped the boxes and walked off, the video showed.

Medina is a Montebello resident, police said. She is being held on $50,000 bail and faces up to four years and four months in prison if convicted.

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