Caught On Camera: Alleged Mail Thief Targets Riverside Residents

RIVERSIDE (CBSLA.com) — A rash of mail thefts have residents peeved in Riverside.

Resident Melissa Gibson posted photos she snapped of the alleged offender on Facebook. She said the person was sifting through two mailboxes and putting letters into a plastic bag before taking off on a scooter near the intersection of La Sierra and Norwood avenues, near La Sierra Park.

She said she would have gone after the suspect but she was barefoot and in her pajamas.

The pictures were provided to officers after they came out and took a report.

Community members at Orangewood Villas spoke out Thursday night about the rash of mail thefts at their homeowners association meeting.

Property manager Kevin Lewis said a resident had been waiting for gift cards, which they suspect were nabbed by the thief.

Lewis said the neighborhood's been hit before by a mail thief.

"We've asked the community to be on alert," said Ed Martinez, whose son was a victim of mail theft last year. He lost outgoing checks.

Martinez said the hot weather has kept people indoors, and he suspected the thief saw it as an opportunity to strike.

But the Riverside Police Department denied this was a recurring problem.

However, police don't have many leads to go on because victims often wait until it's too late – the credit cards or checks already have been stolen and used – to report the crimes.