For some, the holiday season is a time for giving. For others, it's all about receiving. For 42-year-old Melanie Kathleen Astin, it's about stealing the shit she can't afford from well-to-do folks in Newport Beach.
After a series of unexplained package thefts from various homes in the weeks leading up to Christmas, one Newport Beach family caught the brunette Astin on video surveillance, stepping out of her white car, walking up to the front door, leaving an empty box and walking away with a package that had just been dropped off.
The video appears after the jump, at the end of the post.
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Astin was arrested on Christmas Eve after been identified in the surveillance videos. She was held in the Newport Beach prison.
Authorities suspect that she stole packages off 10 to 20 doorsteps. Astin was believed to be following UPS and FedEx trucks to homes, and then grabbing the packages once the delivery was made.
There was no indication of whether Astin used her newfound items for re-gifting, White Elephant or resale.
The following video was from a KTLA report:
