Man caught on camera in Tanglewood neighborhood with arm full of stolen mail

Neighbors say mail theft at and around the Courtyard of Three Fountains condominiums is a persistent problem.

A surveillance camera captured a man stealing a whole bundle of mail from a condominium complex in the Tanglewood neighborhood on Wednesday morning.

People who live there say they are fed up with it because it keeps happening.

Wednesday’s incident happened around 8 a.m. at the Courtyard of Three Fountains condominiums on Inwood Drive.

The thief, hooded and in dark clothing, spent about five minutes going from box to box before getting away with a whole arm full of mail.

“He’d look at the mail, if he liked it, he’d keep it. And the ones he didn’t want, like the junk mail, he’d throw it back away,” a man who lives at the condos said.

Neighbors believe he used a screwdriver or some other tool to pry the boxes open, which is a problem they say is becoming persistent.

“I’ve lived in this complex now for almost 10 years,” he said. “We never had these issues until maybe about three years ago.”

They have spent thousands of dollars to replace mailboxes after past break-ins, but many are frustrated and missing important deliveries.

“People have claimed that they’ve lost Christmas cards and checks and again, W2s or tax forms,” he said.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) usually has reports of mail theft in the overnight hours.

Condo residents have given up on reporting it to them because it keeps happening, and they said it doesn’t resolve much.

“A lot of times, it’s just a feeling of hopelessness. There’s nothing that you can do,” he said.

Hopelessness also comes with anger, the more often they see such brazen acts.

“It irritates me. People here are working hard for what they have and someone’s coming and taking it away from them,” he said.

They hope someone will recognize the man in the video and contact them at FountainViewNeighbor@gmail.com so that they can share the information with the proper authorities.

The USPIS recommends getting mail from your box as quickly as possible after it’s delivered to protect yourself from being a victim of mail theft.

If you believe you may be a victim of mail theft, the USPIS recommends reporting it to your local police and to the Postal Inspection Service by calling their hotline, 877-876-2455, or visiting their website.


About the Author:

Bryce Newberry joined KPRC 2 in July 2022. He loves the thrill of breaking news and digging deep on a story that gets people talking.