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Police Arrest 20-Year-Old Woman Who Allegedly Tried To Steal Packages From Alhambra Home

ALHAMBRA (CBSLA.com) — Police in Alhambra have announced the arrest of a woman they said tried to steal packages from a man's porch.

Rianna Medina, 20, of Montebello was arrested about 1 p.m. at a Motel 6 in Rosemead.

The arrest came about from tips and social media messages and "old-fashioned police work," according to the Alhambra Police Department.

CBS2's Tom Wait spoke to the homeowner Thursday evening. He caught the woman in the act and talked to her while recording their confrontation on a cellphone.

alhambra package thefts
(credit: Alhambra Police Department/Facebook)

The homeowner said the woman identified as Medina told him it was her mother's house. He also said she not only showed no remorse, she flipped him the bird as she walked away.

"On Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at approximately 4:40 p.m., a homeowner in the southeast portion of Alhambra had just arrived home when he saw a woman approach the front of his house," according to a police statement. "The female suspect picked up two packages that had been delivered and left near the front door. The homeowner exited his car and started recording the suspect with his cell phone. The homeowner confronted the suspect, who tried to convince the
man that her mother lived at the house and the packages were hers. When the homeowner threatened to call the police the suspect dropped the packages and fled on foot."

RELATED LINK: Caught On Video -- Woman Wanted For Attempted Package Theft From Alhambra Home

Medina was booked on suspicion of one felony count of grand theft, with bail set at $25,000. She is due in court in Alhambra on Tuesday, police said.

"The public's cooperation greatly assisted our detectives in identifying and locating this suspect," police said. "It is oftentimes difficult to find people who are willing to come forward and share information. We appreciate everyone's contribution."

Police said part of their investigation included matching tattoos that Medina is known to have had with those with the woman who appeared on the homeowner's video.

The unidentified homeowner told Wait that the packages were filled with about $1,000 worth of tools he needed for his appliance repair business.

On Friday, CBS2's Dave Lopez talked to Medina's grandmother who said her granddaughter had been living with her up until about two weeks ago in a Montebello apartment.

The grandmother did not want to go on camera. Neighbors also declined.

Police told Lopez that even though Medina left empty-handed, she still committed a crime.

(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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