STUDIO CITY — Police are on the lookout for two mail thieves who struck an apartment on Laurel Canyon Boulevard on Monday, January 13.
Surveillance footage as seen on ABC 7 shows an unknown man and woman unlocking a number of mail boxes belonging to residents of the apartment building. According to reports, the thieves may have actually used a Postal master key to get to the tenants’ mail.
In addition, the video also shows the duo breaking into the vehicle belonging to one of the tenants before finally leaving the apartment. It is currently unknown what exactly was stolen.
The theft of mail is a federal crime that is punishable with a maximum sentence of five years in prison, according to the U.S. Government Printing Office. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service offers a few pieces of advice to better prevent the theft of mail. Residents should retrieve their mail as soon as they receive it, if possible, especially if they are expecting items such as checks or credit cards, and mail should not be left overnight.
In the event of a vacation or a prolonged period of absence, residents can request that the post office hold their mail until the date of return. In the event that mail theft is suspected, people can file a formal complaint on the Postal Service’s website.
Anyone with information regarding the thieves should contact their local police station and the Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777.
