Woman donates gifts to Delray Beach teacher after man steals presents off her porch

By Ethan Stein

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    DELRAY BEACH, Florida (WPTV) — Community Friends Inc. donated several presents to a Delray Beach family who police said was victimized by a man stealing packages off their porch.

Keyanna Evans, who is a second-grade school teacher at Village Academy, said Wednesday the packages were Christmas presents for two boys. She said video captured by her doorbell cameras shows that the thief used a shirt to partially cover his face.

Debbee Katz, who is the nonprofit’s president, said she contacted Evans after she saw WPTV’s story on the teacher. She said Community Friends Inc. had leftover toys from the toy drive, which provides various organizations with donations.

“I saw them taking the gifts that video and I said, ‘I could help,'” Katz said.

She brought WPTV’s Ethan Stein into her shed filled with various toys and books, which she said the group receives from cash donations and drop-off boxes.

Katz calls her nonprofit “the little charity that does a lot” and focuses on helping other smaller organizations over the last 25 years.

Evans, who spoke with WPTV on Sunday night, said her two boys didn’t know Katz’s nonprofit donated some presents. Evans said she’s “beyond grateful” the group provided various gifts, which helped turn their Christmas Day celebrations into a positive situation.

On Christmas Day, one of Keyanna Evans’ two sons opens presents donated by Community Friends, Inc., after gifts were stolen from outside her home in Delray Beach. Dec. 25, 292

One of Keyanna Evans’ two sons opens presents donated by Community Friends, Inc., after gifts were stolen from outside her home in Delray Beach. Dec. 25, 292 “Especially to keep the Christmas spirit there for them so that they don’t have to have this tragedy as a memory,” Evans said.

Evans also said other friends and family reached out to her about other similar instances, which happened to them.

It’s estimated that 113 million packages were stolen in 2022, according to the research group SafeWise.

The Florida attorney general’s office recommends people schedule deliveries when somebody is home, ask a neighbor to pick up a package, require a signature to complete a delivery and install security cameras to deter theft.

Cameras didn’t deter a man from stealing packages off Evans’ porch, which now has her explaining the situation to her 13-year-old son.

“I was crying,” she said, “and my son, who is very in tune to me, and he came home and he was like, ‘What’s wrong mom? What’s wrong mom?’ and I just had to tell him because it was all over my face. My body was shaking.”

The video of the thief shows him wearing a shirt from a roofing company.

WPTV contacted the owner of the roofing company who said she didn’t recognize the man but that it donates company-branded shirts to the homeless.

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