Crime & Safety

Mail Thieves At Work In Orinda, Lafayette?

Phone calls and emails from concerned neighbors alert us to a possible rash of mail theft in Lamorinda.

Police in Lafayette and Orinda have been notified as residents in both cities reported strangers rifling the mailboxes in their neighborhoods in recent days.

A number of mailboxes on Claremont Avenue in Orinda were rifled Monday, neighbors said, with several more homes near McDonnell nursery reported Wednesday.

"No one saw them," said one resident, who requested anonymity. "My neighbor picked up his mail today at 1.  I know we had mail delivered because today is the day we get that big packet of ads (Pennysaver and such) and there is a little ripped piece of one of the ad pieces on the side of our mailbox."

Find out what's happening in Lamorindawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

At about the time neighbors in Orinda were reporting the loss of their mail police in Lafayette responded to a call from at least one homeowner on Reliez Valley Road reporting that a person in a car was systematically rummaging through the mailboxes of homes there.

It is not known if police were able to make contact with the individual. In the past, it has been found that thieves follow mail or delivery trucks in rural areas, stealing mail and packages off the doorstep before owners can retrieve them.

Find out what's happening in Lamorindawith free, real-time updates from Patch.


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