9-year-old girl's instincts help stop package thieves in New Jersey neighborhood

WAYNE, New Jersey (WABC) -- Nine-year-old Sydney Monello knew something wasn't right from the start when she noticed three strangers parked near her driveway on Wednesday afternoon.

"One of the guys came out of the car and he just stood there," she said.

Home from school on a snow day with her older brothers, she FaceTimed her parents describing their suspicious behavior, but admittedly they thought she was overreacting. Meanwhile, Sydney kept watch on the black Honda Civic, and even sent the family dog outside to scare the trio off.

"Claudia is like, don't be dramatic, Sydney, you're overdoing it. I was getting a little concerned because she was so emotional," said Sydney's father, Joe Monello.

Sydney's mom, Claudia, says she was wrong to doubt her daughter because she 'would not let it go.'

"When my instincts tell me that something doesn't feel right, I trust them," Sydney said.

When Sydney persisted something was wrong, her parents sent a friend over to check things out. Turns out, Sydney's instincts were spot on. Her dad called police, who discovered the men allegedly took packages delivered from a home next door with a stolen credit card.

A short time later, officers tracked down and arrested Thafoux Feilix, Taliek Jones and Devellis Benjamin on charges of receiving stolen property and credit cards.

With her detective skills confirmed, Sydney has since enjoyed praise from the Wayne Police Department and her friends at school.