Dozens of packages and countless mail were delivered just in the nick of time this year for a handful of lucky Lathrop residents.
It just wasn’t delivered by somebody they were expecting to bring them a package – the Lathrop Police Department.
According to the agency, the night before Christmas Eve dispatchers were notified about a suspicious vehicle that was out checking community mailboxes in the community – and officers responded to the area and attempted a traffic stop.
Rather than yielding, the suspects bailed out of the vehicle and attempted to hide. One suspect was ultimately discovered by K9 officers Jackie and was taken into custody by her handler.
The other suspect was located nearby a short time later and was also arrested.
When officers searched the vehicle, they discovered hundreds of stolen pieces of mail as well as dozens of packages that people had ordered – presumably for Christmas – by residents in Lathrop and the surrounding communities.
Both suspects – males from Tracy – were taken into custody and charged with a host of felonies and booked into the San Joaquin County Jail.
While the incident occurred during the graveyard shift, officers on day shift assisted with delivering the packages to Lathrop residents so that they could receive their property in time for Christmas. All of the other packages and mail were turned over to the United State Postal Service Inspector’s Office so that it can be properly routed and delivered.
“Great job to our citizens calling 911, our partners at Ripon Dispatch, and our officers,” the Lathrop Police said in a post announcing the arrest. “The Lathrop Police Department is a team committed to connecting and partnering with our community and making it a safe place to live, work, and visit.”
While mail theft would be considered by many to be a low-priority crime and more of a nuisance than anything, the impacts that can arise from it create very real issues for the victims – from checks and gift cards that are stolen, to identity theft that can lead to thousands of dollars in charges that can take months to clean up. In addition, retailers often have to compensate for packages that will be stolen before they are delivered by raising prices to offset losses – making merchandise more expensive for law-abiding citizens.
For additional information about how to protect yourself from mail theft or other crimes occurring in the community, contact the Lathrop Police Department at 209.647.6400 or visit the Lathrop Police Department’s website at www.ci.lathrop.ca.us/police.
To contact Bulletin reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com.
