String of mail thefts in Hollywood. Suspect caught on video!
(Metblogs, Los Angeles, CA) — This past Saturday, a few Hollywood neighborhoods were struck by a series of mail thefts. Video below shows the suspect who is believed to have stolen mail from numerous homes and apartment.
(In my case, she is suspected to have ripped open and removed contents from packages left inside the building I live in.)
- If you believe you know the identity of this woman, or may have been the victim of one of these mail thefts, contact the United States Post Office in Hollywood at 323-464-1714.
- If you know the current whereabouts of this woman contact the Hollywood Police Department at 213-972-2971 and ask for Officer Ralph Sanchez. (If you see any crime in progress, of course call 911).
Note: If you receive the message “We’re sorry, this video is no longer available” when attempting to view, try opening this page or the video in a different browser (Firefox instead of Safari, for example).
In the video you can see who appears to be a white woman with dark hair, in her 20s or 30s, being allowed into an apartment complex, and about 15 minutes later seen checking out the bikes in a back alley. During this same time period, a resident reported seeing this same girl walking away from a ripped open package that had been left there earlier by the mailman. Another tenant also reported arriving home to find a package at their door that had been opened and some contents removed. Additionally, a bunch of ripped open mail was found in a basement trashcan, all addressed to residents in surrounding neighborhoods.
Upon reporting this to our mailman (ok, mail lady) on Monday, she told us that she’d been notified of additional mail thefts along her route. And after sending this video and the details to members of the local neighborhood council, I received an email from a resident:
I live on Outpost Drive. On Saturday I heard my mailbox clank and stepped outside to find the same woman with her bicycle. By then her hands were empty so I didn’t confront her. Now I wish I had. I have no idea what she was able to steal.
Per Officer Sanchez, the USPS can treat this as a Federal crime, whereas the LAPD can only handle mail theft as a misdeameanor. So, again, if you’ve been a victim report this to your local post office.
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Did she steal that jacket? She leaves with her bag stuffed full and another full shopping bag! She is terrible and bold.
I’d say those Uggs are an even more egregious crime.
What’s more frightening is, judging by the video still shot, this all happened in Chuck’s apartment complex! I mean, what good is an undercover FBI agent for a neighbor if he can’t stop this??
Last Thursday at dusk, I went for a walk in the Hollywood Hills where I live. About two blocks from my house, I saw some mail lying on the side of the street. I bent down to pick it up and lo and behold… it was addressed to me! Then a few feet later, I found some addressed to my neighbor. Boy was I pissed. Luckily, I wasn’t expecting any checks in the mail (sob!) as that’s what the mailman told me the next day when I ran into him. He said it’s really gotten rampant and that a locked mailbox is the only way to go. So, fifty bucks and a trip to Home Depot later, I had a new locking mailbox up.
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