Package thieves caught after stealing $6 of dog treats from elderly woman's porch

A pair of package thieves were arrested after they fled from a Volusia County sheriff’s deputy who caught them with a box of dog treats stolen from an 87-year-old woman’s porch in Daytona Beach, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s office.

Deputies say the dog treats weren’t all they had in the car. In addition to a Daytona Beach Police Department charge of burglary of an occupied residence, the VCSO charged 25-year-old Jennifer Lynn Steinman with possession of cocaine, methamphetamine, cocaine, psilocybin and drug paraphernalia.

According to officials, her driver and boyfriend, 32-year-old Bryan Gibbons , was charged with fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement as well as possession of ammunition by a convicted felon – after the deputy discovered a pistol magazine containing 11 rounds in the center console of the car.

The incident began around 4:34 p.m. Saturday, when Deputy Omar Bello was patrolling in the area of Peninsula Drive. Deputy Bello says he saw a black Nissan SUV driving erratically through the area and noticed there appeared to be an altercation happening in the car. He attempted a traffic stop, and the vehicle fled briefly before pulling over. Steinman got out of the vehicle with an Amazon.com package in her hands, claiming she picked it up from a friend’s house.

They say the package’s real owner explained that she’d never met Steinman. The package contained about $6 in dog treats.

A deputy who conducted an inventory search of the car said they discovered several plastic baggies containing heroin, methamphetamine residue and psilocybin mushrooms, as well as five syringes and a contact lens case containing powder cocaine.

The sheriff’s office states that both Gibbons and Steinman were transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail, where they were still in custody Monday morning. Steinman’s total bond was $10,000. In addition to his charges in Saturday’s incident, Gibbons was arrested on a warrant on charges of grand theft and uttering a forgery, and remained in custody on $5,000 bond.

“My elderly mother said that she feels safer knowing that your deputies are so alert and trained not just to look for the target of a search, but also to recognize and act on suspicious behavior,” the victim’s daughter wrote in a message to the Sheriff’s Office after the arrest. “Please know that we are so thankful and blessed to have brave and observant officers like Deputy Bello protecting our homes and streets.”