PLANTATION, FLA. (WSVN) – A U-Haul truck was found with mail and packages from various addresses, which led to a police perimeter being set up in a Plantation neighborhood.
Officers received a call last night of a suspicious vehicle in the area of Northwest 94th Avenue and 15th Street around 4 a.m. Wednesday.
Plantation Police officers were seen with flashlights as they searched the bed of the pickup truck, which appeared to be filled with mail, Amazon packages and boxes.
According to officials, they contacted the driver and observed about 200 pieces of mail inside.
“People have been indicating that there’s been some mail theft going on,” said area resident Mike Harari.
Officers even found some valuables like jewelry in one envelope.
7News cameras captured the U-Haul being towed away.
In a tweet by Plantation Police, it was said a traffic stop led to the arrest and federal charges pending against the driver.
Neighbors in the area said they’ve been dealing with mail thefts over the last few weeks.
“We have a lock-in mailbox. We’ve had that in place for a long time, so we didn’t do it due to these issues, but it definitely seems to prove [the need for] it, given what’s been going on,” said Harari.
These Plantation residents are not alone. 7News has covered a handful of incidents of mail theft across South Florida, like one person captured on surveillance video raiding a mailbox in Southwest Miami-Dade back in June.
A few blocks away, a pile of what was believed to be stolen mail was found dumped in resident Razia Velez’s trash.
“These are people belongings, their information, their lives. This is a violation of all of us,” said Velez.
In May, a makeup company in North Miami dealt with bank fraud after someone broke into their office’s mailbox, and 15 outgoing checks to vendors, worth nearly $40,000, were stolen.
“We’re home a lot. My hope is that a lot of people are working from home, that these things would become less common, but I guess not,” said Harari.
Investigators said more than 200 pieces of mail were found in the pickup truck. Officers are currently working to return it to the proper owners.
If you have any information on this crime, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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