USPS credits CBS 2 for arrest of suspected serial mail thief
Kalea Blanke faces burglary and identity theft charges for mail thefts at Chicago condos and apartments dating back to 2021.
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Kalea Blanke faces burglary and identity theft charges for mail thefts at Chicago condos and apartments dating back to 2021.
Investigators said the woman caught on surveillance video is 33-year-old Kalea Blake.
The carrier was targeted while he was on his route in Austin. Such attacks are on the minds of letter carriers throughout the city.
An ambush of a postal worker by armed robbers in Chicago on Thursday was caught on camera.
There's a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case.
They hoped this would get them off the street and home earlier.
The U.S. Postal Workers Union continues its fight for better security after several high-profile violence against mail carriers.
In simple terms, they want protection for their coworkers and the apprehension and prosecution of anyone who targets them.
Chicago mail carriers are calling for better security after a rash of armed robberies, including one last week that ended with a carrier shot in the leg.
The recent string of violence against U.S. Postal Service letter carriers is getting more attention.
Police late Wednesday said they did not know the motive for the shooting, but they said Glenn Weston Jr. was on his way to meet his girlfriend at the time.
Glenn Weston Jr., 30, was shot at 12:56 p.m. Tuesday in the 3500 block of South Rhodes Avenue.
The suspects are believed to be armed and dangerous.
Two gunmen robbed a carrier in the 1400 block of Home Avenue just before 11 a.m. on Wednesday.
One of the letter carriers was shot. The two robberies took place just 15 minutes and a few miles apart.
Investigators are still digging into a crime spree in Chicago that landed one U.S. mail carrier in the hospital. Police believe the same thieves then targeted a second letter carrier just 15 minutes later.
One of the offenders fired a gun and struck the 52-year-old victim in the leg, Chicago police said.
CBS 2's Machi talked Tuesday evening with Elise Foster, vice president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 11. Foster - and neighbors near this shooting – told us they're concerned, but not surprised.
Suspects shot and attempted to rob a postal carrier on Chicago's Northwest Side on Tuesday afternoon.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Those who might have been affected were asked to monitor their financial accounts or credit profiles for fraudulent activity.
Protecting the mail is the U.S. Postal Inspectors' (USPIS) job. The agency's data shows it hasn't made a dent in investigating or arresting those accused of mail theft in the past few years.
Protecting the mail is the U.S. Postal Inspectors' (USPIS) job. The agency's data shows it hasn't made a dent in investigating or arresting those accused of mail theft in the past few years. CBS 2's Sabrina Franza reports.
Investigators say the robbers got away in a silver Hyundai sedan.
Investigators say the robbers got away in a silver Hyundai sedan.
Burglars hit a string of businesses in Chicago's South Loop early Monday morning.
A round of thunderstorms was sweeping into the Chicago area Monday morning, prompting a ground stop at O'Hare International Airport.
Burglars broke into a CBD and kratom dispensary on Chicago's Near West Side early Monday morning.
New details were expected Monday about a push to improve safety on Chicago Transit Authority buses and trains.
The Kane County Health Department was set Monday to offer a free mental health awareness webinar.
In a move aimed at curbing the growing problem of "teen takeovers," D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro is threatening to bring charges against parents if their teens violate the local curfew.
State Rep. Josh Turek and State Sen. Zach Wahls squared off Thursday over which candidate can flip Iowa's open Republican-held Senate seat, as millions in outside spending reshapes the primary's final stretch.
Sens. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin say their concern is there may be more emergency exit doors than flight attendants in the event of an evacuation.
Ald. Jim Gardiner (45th) is suing the city of Chicago, its inspector general's office, and the Board of Ethics, accusing them of defamation.
The Supreme Court has maintained mail access to the abortion pill mifepristone, setting aside for now a lower court order that blocked abortion providers from prescribing the widely used drug through telehealth and shipping it to patients.
One week away from Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of the summer travel season, with gas prices remaining high, negotiations were set to resume Monday at the largest oil refinery in the Midwest.
Chatham residents say they're losing a vital resource as Walgreen's prepares to close its store near 86th and Cottage Grove.
According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in Chicago was $5.17 on Friday, up from $3.75 a year ago.
Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas Company customers are likely to see minor credits on their bills for the next three years, thanks to a $125 million settlement agreement announced Thursday by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
Chicago gas prices are spiking as the war with Iran drags on, with regular gas nearing $6 in some spots and premium already selling for more than $7 in some places.
The Kane County Health Department was set Monday to offer a free mental health awareness webinar.
At least 80 deaths have been reported in a new Ebola disease outbreak in Congo and Uganda, authorities said.
Engineers at Northwestern University have created a wireless polygraph to detect stress.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Wednesday announced an expansion to the city's CARE Program, a specialized team that responds to mental health crises without police.
A Texas couple is filing a lawsuit accusing the AI company of guiding their teenage son in using drugs, resulting in a fatal overdose.
After more than 80 years, there will be no Ann Sather restaurant location in the 900 block of West Belmont Avenue in Chicago's Lakeview community, effective in June.
Flight attendants at Chicago-based United Airlines have approved a new labor contract, marking their first pay increases in six years.
The Chicago Fire FC announced Wednesday morning that its new stadium in the South Loop will be named McDonald's Park.
U.S. prosecutors allege a man with multiple aliases used the name of the famed Astor family to scam a Mexican billionaire out of $450 million.
Thousands of people marched from the West Loop to Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago on Friday for May Day, with activists calling for workers' rights, stronger labor protections, and increased school funding.
The Chicago-born house music track, which began as a personal poem in 1982 and became a defining anthem of the city's house music scene, has been selected for permanent preservation by the Library of Congress.
The Library of Congress revealed this year's list of 25 recordings to be preserved for future generations on the National Recording Registry.
David Allan Coe also had hits with "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" and "The Ride" among others.
Some youngsters got a behind-the-scenes look at the magic of making opera Sunday at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Matt DeCaro, an actor who was a familiar face on the Chicago stage for many years, died this weekend.
One person is dead, and two others were hospitalized, in a home explosion in Wonder Lake, Illinois, far northwest of Chicago Sunday night. Darius Johnson reports.
Burglars broke into a CBD and kratom dispensary on Chicago’s Near West Side early Monday morning.
New details were expected Monday about a push to improve safety on Chicago Transit Authority buses and trains.
A graduate student from Brazil who went viral on social media for his quest to run every street in Chicago will get to stay in the U.S.
Hundreds of millions of listeners have tuned in over the decades to an organization that helped invent broadcast news. Bradley Blackbourn reports.
One person is dead, and two others were hospitalized, in a home explosion in Wonder Lake, Illinois, far northwest of Chicago Sunday night.
A round of thunderstorms was sweeping into the Chicago area Monday morning, prompting a ground stop at O'Hare International Airport.
New details were expected Monday about a push to improve safety on Chicago Transit Authority buses and trains.
One week away from Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of the summer travel season, with gas prices remaining high, negotiations were set to resume Monday at the largest oil refinery in the Midwest.
Burglars hit a string of businesses in Chicago's South Loop early Monday morning.
Pothole complaints continue everywhere, but especially on one street in the Pullman neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago.
People in Lincoln Park and Lakeview have rallied against a plan to build a new industrial ComEd electrical substation in their neighborhoods, pushing local and state leaders to get involved.
Monday marks one year since Illinois enacted Karina's Law — legislation aimed at taking firearms out of the hands of people accused of domestic abuse.
Tenants at a South Shore apartment building said they've noticed their rent fluctuating by hundreds of dollars a month due to a change in how their utility billing system is set up.
A man from the Chicago suburbs lost $69,000 of his savings to a scam by a thief using an AI-generated U.S. Marshals badge to intimidate him.
Rookie Gabriela Jaquez set career highs with 20 points and eight rebounds, Kamilla Cardoso had 11 points and 12 rebounds, and the Chicago Sky beat the Minnesota Lynx 86-79.
Edgar Quero hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning and the Chicago White Sox beat the Chicago Cubs 9-8 on Sunday in the rubber game of their first crosstown series this season.
Murakami added his 17th homer in the fifth, a two-run shot to center off Jameson Taillon that traveled an estimated 428 feet.
Chris Brady had six saves for Chicago and has six shutouts this season.
Carson Kelly hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning and drove in four runs as the Chicago Cubs stopped a five-game White Sox winning streak with a 10-5 victory over their crosstown rival.
Burglars hit a string of businesses in Chicago's South Loop early Monday morning.
Burglars broke into a CBD and kratom dispensary on Chicago's Near West Side early Monday morning.
New details were expected Monday about a push to improve safety on Chicago Transit Authority buses and trains.
A man was hospitalized early Monday after he was shot in the face while driving on Chicago's Southwest Side.
Two women were shot and wounded Sunday evening in the South Austin neighborhood on Chicago's West Side.
