Ring videos help Flagler deputies track down suspected porch pirate

Woman claimed she was retrieving packages for Amazon, deputies say

FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A woman who was caught on Ring video twice in the same afternoon stealing packages from residents’ front porches has been taken into custody thanks in part to that footage, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

Records show the first incident was reported Tuesday at about 4:15 p.m. when a woman who lives on Kalamazoo Trail reported that Amazon had dropped off a package containing a Valentine’s Day card at 3:20 p.m. and then at 3:38 p.m., she receiving a notification from her Ring doorbell.

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The video from the doorbell showed a woman later identified as 26-year-old Kimberly Dowdy taking the package from the victim’s front porch and walking off with it, according to the affidavit.

Deputies said they received a similar call at 6 p.m. from a woman who lives on Kashmir Trail who said that at 3:30 p.m., her Ring doorbell captured video of Dowdy throwing trash in her yard and taking packages from her front porch that contained denim shorts, black leggings and three pairs of earrings.

The video also showed Dowdy leaving in a gold Cadillac, according to the report.

Records show deputies located that vehicle and conducted a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 1. Dowdy was the passenger while 24-year-old Michael Pavlov was driving. The two said they’re from Ohio and were just driving around looking for places to visit without having a specific destination in mind.

When questioned about the thefts, Pavlov claimed that Dowdy told him she worked for Amazon and needed to pick up packages and take them to different locations, according to the affidavit. He also claimed that Dowdy suffers from addiction and “will do anything” to pay for narcotics.

Deputies said they found the stolen packages in the gold Cadillac along with other packages that are believed to have been taken from other jurisdictions.

Both Dowdy and Pavlov were taken to custody and while at the jail, Dowdy admitted that she had meth in a small container in her pant leg, records show.

“This is a great example of how residents seeing something and saying something along with technology and good police work can come together to solve crimes and stop criminals in their tracks and directly to jail while quickly returning stolen property,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. “I want to commend the victims for taking their security seriously by installing security cameras which assisted our deputies in locating these offenders and stopping their crime spree. To anyone else thinking that stealing a package is a good idea, our community is not going to stand for it. We will find you, you will be arrested and you will go to jail.”

Dowdy is charged with burglary of an occupied structure, burglary of an unoccupied structure, petit theft, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of methamphetamine.

Pavlov is facing two counts of burglary of an occupied structure and two counts of petit theft.