Mail truck theft in Antioch marks 20th in Bay Area since Spring

This week, instead of getting Christmas cards or last minute gifts from family and friends, hundreds of Antioch residents are getting a letter from Postal Inspectors instead.

Postal Inspector Jeff Fitch said, "We'll explain that a vehicle was broken into and possibly some mail that was addressed to you may have been taken."

Two trucks were targeted in Antioch this week alone, one on Texas Street and the other on S Francisco Court. Their contents were stolen.

Earlier this month, there were incidents in Pleasant Hill and San Jose. In fact, there have been at least 20 attacks on mail trucks since the Spring.

"We always are concerned, anytime someone attacks a postal vehicle or steals mail. In our minds, one theft is one too many," Fitch said.

Residents are being told to document what's missing and also to check their bank statements and to look for suspicious activity.

"I'm actually really a security guy. I'm scared to have my social stolen or something so yeah it's terrible. I don't like it at all," Maurice Betton of Antioch.

Briana Baynes, also of Anitoch, touched on the sadness associated with the fact that the stolen contents could be presents intended for a little kid, or potentially someone who is sick. 

Meanwhile, postal inspectors say they're investigating and taking the precautions they can to keep both the mail and the mail carriers safe.

"We have some security upgrades we are implementing,” Fitch said. “But exactly what we're doing and how we're doing it, we're not sharing."

This kind of theft is a federal offense, with a penalty of up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

Postal inspectors are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in this case.