Detectives say security footage made all the difference in helping catch him.
Cameras caught the suspect stealing mail from a home on Shaw and Sunnyside Avenues Tuesday morning.
The homeowner called police and shared video with officers.
Just hours later, detectives found the suspect in a different part of the city.
They searched his car and found the missing mail inside.
The suspect confessed to the crime and said he was driving through the neighborhood, looking for mailboxes with the red mail flag up to steal from.