Video of package theft incriminates county code enforcement officer, FL cops say

A code enforcement officer accused of engaging in porch piracy while on the job is facing a felony theft charge, according to investigators in Florida.

The unusual package theft happened April 16 in St. Cloud, but was not discovered until May 7, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said in a May 8 news release.

“The complainant advised a package containing a $600 cell phone was delivered to her property and stolen by an Osceola County code enforcement officer,” the sheriff’s office said. “The Code Enforcement Officer’s actions were captured on the complainant’s surveillance cameras.”

That video showed the code enforcement officer in uniform as she drove onto the property in a Osceola County pickup truck and took a package lying next to a home’s front door, officials said. She then “tossed the package into the bed of her truck” and drove away, officials said.

Investigators used the video to identify the employee and “confirmed taking the package was not part of her official duties.”

Vanessa Ramon, 37, was arrested and charged with felony grand theft, officials said.

The Code Enforcement Department’s mission “is to protect public health, safety and welfare by ensuring compliance with county codes, land use regulations, and various statutes,” according to its website. “Our division works seven days a week to help property owners meet their obligations and responsibilities, and to prevent property values from falling,” the department says.

St. Cloud is about a 30-mile drive southeast from Orlando.