CROWN POINT | A Cedar Lake man is charged with the theft of dozens of packages left for holiday delivery on the doorsteps of area homes.
Kire Mitreski, 25, admitted he pawned many of the items but kept some, including a sports jacket he gave his fiance for Christmas, Crown Point police said.
Mitreski was charged Friday by the Lake County prosecutor's office with two counts of felony theft, police said. Mitreski was being held Thursday in the Lake County Jail.
Mitreski was taken into custody after being spotted by a Crown Point police officer about 1 a.m. Friday, police said. The vehicle he was driving matched the description of one involved in recent thefts of UPS and FedEx deliveries to homes in Crown Point, Cedar Lake, St. John and other nearby communities, police said.
The packages had been reported stolen around the Christmas holiday, police said.
After stopping the vehicle for a window-tint violation, an officer saw packages strewn across the back seat, police said. The packages matched descriptions of ones stolen from area homes, police said.
A police search of Mitreski's home also turned up items that had been reported stolen, including a laptop computer and several pieces of clothing, police said. Jewelry also was found in Mitreski's vehicle, police said.
The police investigation continued Tuesday with assistance from national delivery companies and the U.S. postal inspector's office, Police Chief Pete Land said. More charges are expected, he said.
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