[ad_1]
A mail theft suspect is caught on surveillance appearing to break into mailboxes at Arden Fair Apartments during the holiday season.
SACRAMENTO, Calif — A mail theft suspect was caught on surveillance video appearing to break into mailboxes at a Sacramento apartment complex during the holiday season.
Curtis Connor, regional manager for Project Management Inc., said the incident happened Nov. 8 around 7 a.m. at the Arden Fair Apartments after a man entered the property through a side gate.
“I’m not sure how he got in there, but once he got in, he came around and actually started to break in, or he used a key, it looks like, because the mailbox is still functional,” Connor said.
Connor said the suspect is seen on video gathering residents’ mail and leaving the area without being confronted.
“He collects all of their mail and sets it up here. Nobody walks by. He got pretty lucky there,” Connor said.
Connor said the incident occurred even after the property installed new mailboxes. However, the new boxes are still waiting on locks from the U.S. Postal Service, forcing residents to continue using the old mailboxes, which are less secure and have been broken into before.
“One of the most frustrating parts about it is that these are all brand new boxes,” Connor said. “The only thing we’re waiting on is USPS to come put their locks on. We’ve waited for over a year for them to come put their locks in.”
Connor said the property spent about $11,000 to purchase and install the new mailboxes.
Residents said mail theft has been an ongoing issue. Isaiah Alexander, who has lived at the Arden Fair Apartments for several years, said the problem is familiar.
“This has kind of been an issue every year that I’ve lived here,” Alexander said, but adds that he does not blame the property management or police.
“I know that their hands are kind of tied with some of the things that they can and can’t do,” he said.
Allison Smith, a public information officer with the Sacramento Police Department, said police have received the report and work with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service on investigations involving mail theft.
Sacramento Postal Inspector Jonathan Lanning said reporting mail theft is critical with incidents like these.
“We’re relying on it to be reported to us, and then as well, video cameras or video surveillance,” Lanning said. “Those are things that are going to be helpful investigative leads to follow up on.”
Lanning said mail theft carries serious penalties too.
“For mail theft, it is up to five years in federal prison,” Lanning said. “If it’s the use of like a postal key, that is up to 10 years.”
Authorities urge anyone whose mail has been stolen to report it to local police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service by calling 1-877-876-2455 or reporting it online at uspis.gov.
Property management also asks anyone who recognizes the suspect seen in the surveillance video to contact Sacramento Police.
The Postal Inspection Service also recommends signing up for Informed Delivery, a free service that allows people to preview incoming mail and confirm when something is missing.
WATCH MORE ON ABC10 | USPS recovers mail, urges residents to report suspected mail theft
ABC10: Watch, Download, Read
[ad_2]