SHAFTER, Calif. (KERO) — 23ABC spoke with Shafter Police and the US Postal Inspection Service regarding two cases of mail theft from community mailboxes in the Gossamer Grove Neighborhood.
- Shafter Police Lieutenant Marvin Gomez tells 23ABC there have been two instances of mail theft from to communal mailboxes in the Gossamer Grove neighborhood over the last month. He noted typically criminals are searching for personal information that could lead to crimes like identity theft.
- US Postal Inspector Jonathan Lanning tells 23ABC that some criminals use force to get into the boxes, but some have created counterfeit keys that could be used to get into them.
- Lt. Gomez also told 23ABC that the department was able to pull fingerprints from the vehicles that were broken into in April, but the suspects' fingerprints are not in their database leaving the case at a standstill until more information is uncovered.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
As many are getting ready to head out of town for the Memorial Day holiday, do you have plans for your mail? I’m Sam Hoyle, your Shafter neighborhood reporter, over the last week, Shafter Police took two reports of mailboxes in the community being broken into and emptied.
Shafter Police Lieutenant Marvin Gomez says while some may think it’s just paper, mail theft can turn into a much more serious crime in a hurry.
“Some things they're looking for are blank — or checks that are written to folks, identifying information, addresses for people. Again, identity theft type information, they find out a person's name, where they live at,” said Gomez.
Cases of mail theft are classified as federal crimes and are investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, but are usually reported to area police departments before they’re moved to the federal inspection agency.
In the case of the two large-scale mail thefts, Lieutenant Gomez said it appeared as if one box was broken into, but the other showed no signs of damage.
US Postal Inspector Jonathan Lanning tells 23ABC that sometimes suspected mail thieves can make counterfeit keys to break into the boxes more easily.
"We have also seen examples of where they get access to counterfeit keys that they make. That they're trying to get into these boxes. I have definitely seen where they are trying to reproduce the postal keys."
Currently, the two incidents are still under investigation.
And an update on the attempted vehicle break-ins in the Gossamer Grove community just over a month ago.
Lieutenant Gomez says the department was able to pull fingerprints from the vehicles that were broken into, but the suspect's data are not a part of the system
At this point, Lieutenant Gomez says the case is currently at a standstill until more information is uncovered.
Lastly, Lieutenant Gomez said a man who was accused of stealing from a vehicle inside Gossamer Grove while using a stolen vehicle and license plate was apprehended in LA county after evading officers in Bakersfield.
Austin Green pled no contest to possession of ammunition and a firearm as a felon, green is currently awaiting sentencing which is scheduled for June 14th.
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