Residents of a Sacramento County neighborhood said people have been stealing mail from their mailbox for nearly a year, and surveillance video shows the latest theft occurred early Friday morning. Sanjay Saxena lives on Baytree Place, a cul-de-sac near Fair Oaks Boulevard. and Eastern Avenue, and said he installed new home security cameras to catch thieves in the act. In a video Saxena sent to KCRA 3, someone is seen getting out of a car on Baytree Place, opening the group’s mailbox at the end of the cul-de-sac and then carrying items from inside the mailbox to the car several times. . The person then sits in the back seat and another person drives the car out of the neighborhood. “They arrive for two minutes, they come in and they leave, and they leave,” Saxena said. “It’s not just one time. “It’s been happening every two weeks.” Saxena said he believes the same people have been stealing mail multiple times over the past few months from the group’s mailbox, which is used by everyone who lives in the Baytree Place cul-de-sac. He said he first noticed mail thefts after his mail was stolen in November 2022. “When I used to come check my mail, it wasn’t there. Then I realized, ‘Oh, something smells bad,'” Saxena said. Neighbors said his mail carrier told them someone stole what’s known as an arrow key, which is a key that opens all mailboxes on a given route. “It’s frustrating that it’s been almost a year and several neighbors have filed reports with the postal inspector about the problem,” said one neighbor, who only wanted to be identified as Daniel. KCRA 3 contacted the United States Postal Inspection Service to ask what is being done to resolve the issue. Matthew Norfleet, U.S. postal inspector with the San Francisco Division’s Mail Fraud Team, said they are investigating the issue. “We have criminal investigators assigned to this crime and we use all law enforcement tools,” Norfleet said. When KCRA asked if changing mailbox locks was an option, Norfleet said that as long as that is done, it is not a viable long-term solution. “That’s what we’re going to do, but it’s paint the Golden Gate Bridge, right? When you’re done, you’ve changed all the locks, it’s time to change them all again,” Norfleet said. “The postal service is constantly developing new methods of locks, improving on previous generation locks.” Norfleet also said arrow key thefts have been a problem for years. He did not have exact data to share with KCRA 3 about the Sacramento region, but he said it is a national concern. “We’ve definitely seen it before in the Sacramento area. Right now there is a big problem across the country with the theft of those keys from carriers on their routes,” Norfleet said. “Everyone can help keep their eyes open and help ensure carriers are safe as they go around their neighborhoods delivering your mail.” If he believes thieves have been breaking into his mailbox, he can report it to the US Postal Inspection Service by calling 1-877-876-2455.
Residents of a Sacramento County neighborhood said people have been stealing mail from their mailbox for nearly a year, and surveillance video shows the latest theft occurred early Friday morning.
Sanjay Saxena lives on Baytree Place, a cul-de-sac near Fair Oaks Boulevard and Eastern Avenue, and said he installed new home security cameras to catch thieves in the act. In a video Saxena sent to KCRA 3, someone is seen getting out of a car on Baytree Place, opening the group’s mailbox at the end of the cul-de-sac and then carrying items from inside the mailbox to the car several times. . The person then sits in the back seat and another person drives the car out of the neighborhood.
“They come, two minutes, they come and go, and they leave,” Saxena said. “It’s not just one time. “It’s been happening every two weeks.”
Saxena said he believes the same people have been stealing mail multiple times over the past few months from the group’s mailbox, which is used by everyone who lives on the Baytree Place cul-de-sac. He said he first noticed mail thefts after his mail was stolen in November 2022.
“When I came to check my email, it wasn’t there. Then I realized, ‘Oh, something smells bad,'” Saxena said.
Neighbors said their mail carrier told them someone stole what is known as an arrow key, which is a key that opens all mailboxes on a given route.
“It’s frustrating that almost a year has passed and several neighbors have filed reports with the postal inspector about the problem,” said one neighbor, who only wanted to be identified as Daniel.
KCRA 3 contacted the United States Postal Inspection Service to ask what was being done to resolve the issue. Matthew Norfleet, U.S. postal inspector with the San Francisco Division’s Mail Fraud Team, said they are investigating the issue.
“We have criminal investigators assigned to this crime and we use all law enforcement tools,” Norfleet said.
When KCRA 3 asked if changing mailbox locks was an option, Norfleet said as long as it is done, it is not a viable long-term solution.
“That’s what we’re going to do, but paint the Golden Gate Bridge, right? When you’re done, you’ve changed all the locks, it’s time to change them all again,” Norfleet said. “The postal service is constantly developing new methods of locks, updating previous generation locks.”
Norfleet also said arrow key thefts have been a problem for years. He did not have exact data to share with KCRA 3 about the Sacramento region, but said it is a national concern.
“We’ve definitely seen it before in the Sacramento area. Right now there is a big problem across the country with the theft of those keys from carriers on their routes,” Norfleet said. “Everyone can help keep their eyes open and help ensure that carriers are safe when they go around their neighborhoods delivering your mail.”
If you think thieves have been breaking into your mailbox, you can report it to the US Postal Inspection Service. by calling 1-877-876-2455.
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