TCSO Investigating Mailbox Break-ins Around Columbia

Columbia, CA — The Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office is investigating incidents of mail theft in the Columbia area.

Initially, just before 9 pm on Monday, there was a report called in about a suspicious vehicle, a gray Honda Accord, in the area of Slate Rim Road towards Bennet Road. Two men were spotted opening several mailboxes. One of the men was wearing a blue jacket and the other had a black jacket. Deputies responded but were unable to locate the vehicle.

In the days that followed, the sheriff’s office received multiple reports of mailboxes being broken into along Bennet Road, Highway 49, and Chili Gulch Road.

The sheriff’s office reports, “We want to remind the public to stay vigilant about mail/package theft. If you live in the area where the theft occurred, please check your mail. If any important mail was stolen, we encourage you to report it through our non-emergency line, 209-533-5815. We are also requesting anyone who lives in the area and has video surveillance of the roadway/mailboxes, to please check to see if you caught footage of these suspects.”

Additional tips from the sheriff’s office, this holiday season, are below:  

• Stay Alert – Inquire about overdue mail – If you do not receive a check, credit card, or other valuable mail you’re expecting, contact the sender as soon as possible and inquire about it
• If you’re not able to be home when important mail or a package will be delivered, ask a neighbor to hold it for you or request the carrier hold the item until a later date.
• Consider alternate delivery options – Consider shipping mail/packages to your place of work or use the ship-to-store option.
• Make home surveillance, security cameras and lighting obvious, and confirm that it’s working.
• Sign up for delivery alerts so you know when your delivery is scheduled, when the mail/package has been delivered and bring your mail/packages inside as quickly as possible.
• Request signature confirmation – When mailing something important, consider requesting Signature Confirmation
• Consider a PO Box or locking mailbox – locks can be defeated but locking mailboxes and PO boxes make it more difficult to steal mail.
• If you suspect mail containing personal information or financial information has been stolen, take immediate steps to protect yourself from fraud such freezing your credit and initiating a fraud alert.