Incident Overview
On Thursday afternoon, a letter carrier in Fremont, California, experienced a series of thefts while completing his mail delivery route. Around 4:15 PM, he returned to his United States Postal Service (USPS) truck and discovered that the driver’s side door was wide open, which he always ensures is closed and locked.
Items Stolen
Upon closer inspection, the letter carrier realized that several personal items were missing from his truck, including his phone, wallet, car keys, AirPods, portable charger, and some outgoing mail he had collected from residents.
Police Involvement
The mail carrier used a neighbor’s cell phone to contact the police and report the theft. Following this, he returned to the Irvington Post Office, where he had parked his personal vehicle earlier in the day.
Further Theft
The situation worsened when he arrived at the post office and found that his personal vehicle had been stolen. The thieves had used the car keys taken from the USPS truck to steal his car from the workplace parking lot.
Response and Investigation
The Fremont Police Department is actively investigating the incident. Jeff Fitch, a representative from USPS, mentioned that the reward for information leading to the capture of individuals involved in mail theft has increased from $10,000 to $100,000 due to the severity of these crimes.
Precautionary Measures
This incident is part of a broader trend of mail carriers being targeted, typically for their mailbox keys. The affected mail carrier is advising his colleagues to remain vigilant and take extra precautions to secure their belongings and the mail they carry.
