Local sheriff’s deputies are crediting an “alert” Valencia resident for spotting mail thieves who were subsequently arrested.
Three suspects – a woman and two men, all from the San Fernando Valley – were arrested on suspicion of grand theft and mail theft thanks to the crime being reported by the citizen.
They are accused of stealing mail and packages from multiple mailboxes in the Santa Clarita Valley, Shirley Miller, spokeswoman for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station wrote in a news release issued Friday.
The “alert” citizen called deputies shortly before 4:30 a.m. Thursday, to report two people acting suspiciously on the 24100 block of Newhall Ranch Road, Miller said in the release.
The suspects wore hoodies and were seen taking mail from a community mailbox and then putting it in their SUV, a Chevy Tahoe.
“Deputies found a vehicle matching the description provided by the citizen and followed it westbound on Magic Mountain Parkway,” Miller said. “As the SUV approached the I-5 onramp, deputies conducted a traffic stop.
“The entire cabin of the vehicle was filled with mail and packages from various addresses in the Santa Clarita Valley,” she said.
“The mail was stacked so high, that the final suspect was not found for several minutes as he laid on the second row floorboard, completely hidden by the mail,” she said.
Deputies arrested the driver, identified as 22-year-old Kieontay Williams and the two passengers, 27-year-old Breeona Scott and 23-year-old Timothy Brown for Grand Theft and Mail Theft.
Williams was found to be on active probation for Identity Theft.
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station detectives are jointly investigating this case along with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
661-287-5527
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