Police looking for robbers, vehicles in recent mail thefts

Assailants robbed a Las Vegas mail carrier recently in what authorities describe as the latest in a string of mail thefts in the valley.

Las Vegas police have released photos of vehicles used in the thefts with hopes the public can help in identifying the drivers or owners of the vehicles.

In the latest incident, Las Vegas police said on Jan. 18, the U.S. Postal Service mail carrier was delivering mail at 2:42 p.m. in the 2800 block of Drury Street, near West Smoke Ranch Road and Torrey Pines Drive, when they were robbed.

“The victim, who was a mail carrier, was adding mail to a mailbox when a silver car pulled over next to the postal truck,” police said in a news release. “A few seconds later a black male adult wearing a ski mask, simulating a handgun, was standing behind the victim.”

A second suspect entered the victim’s postal truck and removed two bins of mail and put them in the silver car. The two then fled.

Several mail thefts

“Through the course of the investigation detectives were able to determine that there have been numerous events involving mail theft or suspicious activity related to mail within LVMPD’s jurisdiction,” police said.

Police released surveillance photos of two vehicles used in recent thefts. One vehicle is a white and black Jeep Cherokee and the second is a gray or silver four-door sedan. Anyone with information on the vehicles or the drivers is urged to call detectives with the Bolden Area Command at 702-287-3883 or email bacpd@lvmpd.com.

In September, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said it was sending notices to some Summerlin residents after mail was stolen from a post office on Spring Gate Lane. Area residents discussing the matter on Nextdoor, a neighborhood social networking app, said at The Arbors in Summerlin a mailman reported that 42 trays of mail were stolen off a truck Sept. 3 at the post office.

In April, federal authorities said they were investigating after someone broke into secured areas at two Henderson post offices — at South Boulder Highway and West Horizon Ridge Parkway — and stole trays of mail over multiple days.

Meanwhile, GoBankingRates.com reports Nevada is second in the nation when it comes to identity theft, averaging 194 victims per 100,000 residents and 5,816 incidents reported in 2018.

Contact Glenn Puit at gpuit@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0390. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.