The thief struck fast – a quick look over his shoulder, a slight hop over a row of flowers onto the porch and then a brisk walk back to a waiting car with a pilfered package under an arm.

Security footage provided Anaheim resident Kristopher Lee with a firsthand, albeit delayed, look at the so-called porch pirate who made off with his package on that sunny August day – as well as a second thief who snagged another package from the same porch less than two months later on Black Friday.

Lee was the victim of a class of thieves who prey on homeowners, particularly during the busy holiday season when gifts in nondescript packages are left unattended just outside homes across Southern California.

Looking at the security footage taken from the doorstep of his West Anaheim home, Lee was struck by the similarity between the two incidents.

Both times a car traveling slowly through the neighborhood stops and backs up, someone gets out of the car, walks casually up to the house to grab a package then makes a quick getaway back to the car.

“It seemed like they were looking around for whatever they could spot,” Lee said. “My reaction was more shock and surprise. The second time it was, ‘Again?'”

Orange County investigators say the thefts are largely a crime of opportunity, often with porch pirates either driving through neighborhoods looking for unattended packages, or trailing delivery trucks and sometimes even breaking into them while parked.

“They will just drive around,” said Irvine police Detective Kristi Valentine. “They will drive in circles looking for packages on porches.”

The increasing ubiquity of surveillance cameras in residential neighborhoods often leaves investigators with helpful photos of thieves and their vehicles. But police say the security devices don’t necessarily dissuade thieves.

The thieves can be quite brazen, Valentine said, recalling a case where someone just pulled into a driveway, grabbed a package and drove off.

“The thieves don’t seem to care, or maybe they aren’t looking for (the cameras),” Valentine said. “The plus side is that it gives us a photo of what we are looking for.”

Anaheim Detective J.C. Rodriguez said residential package thefts used to take place mainly in upscale neighborhoods, such as in Anaheim Hills. But, the detective said, the thefts now take place just as often across all neighborhoods.

“Sometimes they are just driving around and picking them up,” Rodriguez said. “I think they see it as something easy. They walk up there and grab it and walk away.”

Occasionally, police nab a suspect, oftentimes after receiving a suspicious-person call. When officers get photos from residents, they circulate them among other officers and city-jail staffers to see if they recognize the perpetrator.

Newport Beach police Detective Matt Wood attributed recent increases in package thefts to attempts at identity theft and the groundswell of online shopping.

Stolen items are often sold online by the thieves.

“They’ll take anything,” Rodriguez said. “They don’t even know what they are grabbing. It could be anything from a pair of socks to a TV.”

There are plenty of options for residents looking to curb theft from their porches and doorsteps. Most important, police say, is making sure packages don’t just sit outside for hours.

Customers can track shipments online to make sure they aren’t being left at an empty house. Apps such as Nextdoor can keep residents in the loop as to thefts occurring in their community.

Delivery companies such as FedEx and vendors such as Amazon offer options for delivery to authorized centers or lockers. UPS has a network of local businesses paid to receive packages people don’t want shipped to their homes.

“People can have their packages shipped somewhere where they can be held, like with a neighbor who you know will always be home, or at the office,” said Dean Foust, a UPS spokesman. “You also can arrange to have a package delivered to a nearby business.”

Police urge residents to keep an eye out for suspicious people – drivers repeatedly going up and down the street, or individuals who seem out of place.

“We recommend that our residents, if they see something suspicious, to follow their gut and call us,” said Valentine, the Irvine detective. “Those are the calls we need to get. People are afraid to call the Police Department to bother us, but it is not a bother.”

The thieves often come from out of town, and will sometimes target multiple communities. In one arrest earlier this year in Irvine, a gang of suspected thieves were found with mail from Orange, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties.

Police urge those whose packages have been stolen to make sure to report the theft to law enforcement, not just to the carrier or the merchant.

“The only way we are going to solve the crime is communication among our community,” said Rodriguez, the Anaheim detective.

As for Lee, the pair of package thefts has led him to tweak his online ordering:

“I’ve been ordering things still, but when it’s Amazon I use the Amazon locker, and for other online businesses I’ve shipped it to my workplace.”

Staff writer Kevin Smith contributed to this report.