Tom GantertSt. Charles, MO – A “porch pirate” trying to steal newly delivered packages from a house on Halloween got a rude awakening when the police officer who lived there caught him in the act.
The incident occurred in the afternoon of Oct. 31 as off-duty St. Louis Police Officer Chad Tullock was getting ready for trick or treating, KTVI reported.
Officer Tullock said he heard what he thought was a package delivery arriving on his front porch and went to check on it.
“I look through my front window and I see an individual who is not a package delivery person,” the officer told KTVI. “So, I open the door to confront him.”
“He has his little knife [that] he was using to cut open boxes,” Officer Tullock explained. “He kind of waves it at me then turns to make good his escape but I caught up with him and managed to detain him until St. Charles Police Department could arrive.”
The suspect, 41-year-old Matthew Misselhorn, tried to make a run for it when the homeowner appeared in the doorway, but Officer Tullock said the would-be package thief never made it out of his front yard.
Officer Tullock tackled the porch pirate on his lawn and the knife Misselhorn was carrying fell to the ground, according to KTVI.
“He picked the wrong house,” he said. “I was home trying to get ready for Halloween, get the kids ready. Life throws you a curve ball every once in a while.”
The off-duty St. Louis police officer gave a lot of credit to his local police, KTVI reported.
“Also a lot of props go to St. Charles Police Department,” Officer Tullock said. “Those guys are great. They got here real quick, that’s everything.”
The St. Charles Police Department is conveniently located just around the corner from the St. Louis officer’s neighborhood.
“The night was salvaged,” Officer Tullock told KTVI. “We got to go out and got to trick or treat with the kids. So, everything was alright in the end.”
Court records showed the Misselhorn was already on probation and serving a seven-year suspended sentence.
The porch pirate also has recent convictions for burglary, drug possession, receiving stolen property, and vehicle tampering, according to KTVI.
Police said he was carrying meth, fentanyl, and used syringes when he was arrested in Officer Tullock’s front yard.
Misselhorn was being held on $15,000 cash-only bond, KTVI reported.