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'Next Door' App Helps Neighbors Team Up To Take Down Burglars

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Crime fighting has gone high tech with an app called 'Next Door.'

When an alleged thief struck an East Village apartment building, people posted the crime online to warn others.

As CBS2's Jessica Schneider explained, the suspect can be seen lurking outside a building on East 3rd Street.

A man with a backpack ultimately got away with a garbage bag full of other people's deliveries.

"An innocent kid's lunch box stolen," Carlos Gomez de Llarena said.

De Llarena is on a crusade to find the alleged thief.

He posted photos of the crime scene in his lobby and started spreading the word to neighbors to be on the lookout.

"I was mostly taken by the fact that he knew the building so well. he walked in with a few bags, and he knew exactly where to go, so it made me think he must have been doing this for awhile," he said.

People have discovered that it might not just be their building the thieves are targeting. They've posted the video on a social media app called Next Door. It's a virtual bulletin board connecting people in the same neighborhood.

"What I'm telling people on the Next Door app is, 'go to police and report their cases too,'" De Llarena said.

On the next door app he learned of at least four other buildings where someone swiped packages.

Right now, there are 1,000 private chatrooms set up for different neighborhoods in New York City. Each community consists of about 10 square blocks.

"One of the prime uses of Next Door is to create a virtual neighborhood watch between you and your neighbors. It's a way to work together to stay safe," Next Door CEO Nirav Tolia said.

The East Village video is circulating on the app and people hope it will help catch the thief.

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