A 31-year-old man faces 12 charges in relation to a series of mail thefts at Burnaby area apartment buildings in December and January.
Burnaby RCMP released a video compilation in January of thieves grabbing parcels and stacks of mail after gaining access to apartment buildings in the middle of the night and prying open the front panels of mailboxes there.
“In some cases, the suspects have gained access to over 100 mailboxes and cleared them out in minutes,” stated a police press release.
Police suspected up to five people were involved in the thefts, which took place over a few weeks.
Vancouver police arrested one man, Mark Andrew, Sarsfield on Jan. 15.
He now faces 12 charges, including break and enter, having possession of break-and-enter tools and mail theft relating to the Burnaby incidents.
Burnaby RCMP are now asking for help locating another suspect wanted on an outstanding warrant in relation to alleged mail theft in Burnaby.
Audriana Scott, 29, is described as a five-foot-eight, 130-pound white woman with brown hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information that might help police fine Scott is asked to contact police at 604-646-9999. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.solvecrime.ca.
Meanwhile, Burnaby RCMP is urging residents to take steps to deter mail thieves, who can use information from stolen mail to commit other crimes like fraud and identity theft.
Tips:
- Pick up your mail daily. That will leave thieves who work overnight empty handed.
- Have mail held or redirected during long absences, or have a trusted neighbour pick it up
- Don’t let anyone in through the door that you don’t recognize as a resident
- If you move, file a change of address with Canada Post as soon as possible
- Report suspicious activity to police immediately
- If you are the victim of mail theft, consider contacting a Canadian credit bureau company to put a fraud alert on your credit report
