Colorado woman ordered $8,000 flying machine to indulge in new hobby... until porch pirate came prowling
Erica Massey saved up for the expensive machine for more than a year after picking up paramotoring, also known as powered paragliding.
After quickly falling in love with the unique hobby, the Denver resident decided it was time she got her own one-of-a-kind machine - but she never got her hands on it.
The machine, which Massey described as 'a two-stroke engine on a backpack with a propeller,' was delivered outside her front door Saturday afternoon by a UPS driver but she had no idea.
'The UPS driver dropped off the package but didn't ring the bell or knock on the door, so even though I was home, I didn't know it was delivered,' Massey told KDVR.
Soon after the delivery driver placed the package on her doorstep, a prowling thief ran up and took it as Massey's Ring camera captured the entire incident.
An unidentified suspect - dressed in black pants, a gray hoodie and black baseball cap - was seen pulling up in an SUV before hopping Massey's fence, picking up the large package, throwing it into the vehicle and speeding away.
Massey has not yet flown in the sky with one of the machines, but has put in hours of training on the ground hoping to soar one day.
After seeing what happened, Massey said: 'I immediately started crying.'
Although she is absolutely crushed the pricey device was stolen from her, Massey said the thieves wouldn't be able to use it because it is specifically designed for her.
'There's two of these engines in the U.S. and only one that is configured with the propeller and the cage size for me,' she told the outlet.
Massey filed a report with the Denver Police Department about the theft, leading officers to come to her house to gather more information.
She hopes the thieves or someone who knows about where her beloved package might be will come forward.
'It's something I've been working really hard toward, so that's devastating and if you could have a little bit of human empathy that would be great,' Massey said.
Because the machine is so unique, Massey also hopes someone else in the paramotor community might recognize it.
The box it came in has a 'Fly Products' logo on it, she stated.
Anyone with information on where the flying device could be has been urged to contact the police.
Massey is also offering a $1,000 reward for any information that leads to its return.
Daily Mail contacted the Denver Police Department for more information.
Paramotoring is regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under Part 103 of the Federal Aviation Regulations.
Part 103, adopted in July 1982, defines 'ultralight vehicles in two categories: powered and unpowered,' according to the US Powered Paragliding Association.
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