Amazon has fired a delivery driver accused of stealing a customer’s cat in California, as police continue to investigate the incident and prosecutors consider potential charges.
The allegation centers on a delivery made to a home in Lakewood, California, where homeowner Diane Huff-Medina says her cat, Piper, was taken shortly after an Amazon package was dropped off. The incident was captured on the home’s Ring doorbell camera and has since been shared by multiple local outlets.
According to Huff-Medina, the video shows an Amazon Flex driver arriving at her porch, leaving a package, and then returning moments later to grab Piper by the scruff of her neck before walking back to his vehicle and driving away.
Amazon driver accused of stealing cat during delivery
“I had to rewatch it a couple of times because it is hard to see, it’s dark, and he doesn’t carry her very nicely,” Huff-Medina told ABC7. “I see her little tail and I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”
Huff-Medina said Amazon later identified the driver but initially struggled to make contact with him. She also contacted the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and was told it could take weeks before her case was formally reviewed.
An update from CBS Los Angeles confirmed that detectives have since interviewed the driver, who reportedly apologized but declined to tell authorities where the cat is. Piper remains missing, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is currently considering whether charges will be filed.
In a statement shared with CBS LA, Amazon confirmed the driver was a third-party Amazon Flex delivery partner and said he is no longer eligible to deliver for the company.
Amazon added that it has apologized to Huff-Medina and is cooperating with law enforcement by sharing relevant information as the investigation continues.
