Surveillance video captures man stealing toy truck from front porch

ELKHART, Ind. – An Elkhart dad speaks after his surveillance camera caught a thief snatching his two-year-old daughter's birthday gift right off their front porch Monday morning.

“It’s been locked up on the front porch for over a week now, and...since I have surveillance...I got to watch someone run away with it," said Matthew Wood.

A man with a covered face stole the toy jeep Wood had bought his two-year-old daughter for her birthday this summer--right off his front porch around 4:15 a.m. Monday morning.

“I don’t know how anyone with any sort of moral compass can steal a children’s toy," he said. "It really was a violating feeling. My master bedroom is right there...so this person was less than five feet from us outside stealing something off the front porch, so it was very uneasy."

Wood turned to Facebook to warn others living in Elkhart, and the post has been shared more than 250 times.

The surveillance footage has already been viewed by more than 1300 people.

One viewer showed up on their front door step hours after the jeep was taken and said she felt compelled to help.

“I saw what was going on on your neighbor’s Facebook post that she shared and I have an RC car that absolutely terrifies my grandchildren, and I’d love to see it get put to good use," said Wood.

“She lit up, absolutely loved it. Hopped right in it. Was driving around saying thank you," he said.

Although his little girl is back behind the wheel, this dad is now putting out a call to urge neighbors to keep their eyes peeled, so something like this doesn't happen to them.

Elkhart County Sheriff's deputies are still investigating this theft, so if you have any information, please contact Crime Stoppers at 800-342-STOP.