Stolen check leads
to woman’s arrest

4 more suspects are sought in
mail theft cases around Kailua

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By Rod Antone
rantone@starbulletin.com

Honolulu police have arrested one person and are investigating several others in numerous cases of stolen mail in Windward Oahu.

Police said some of the mail was taken from mailboxes in the Enchanted Lake area near Keolu Drive, though they could not verify how many homes were hit.

Police said they arrested a 24-year-old woman on Monday for attempted theft. The suspect was trying to cash a check at a bank when the bank manager discovered that the check had been stolen, police said.

Since that arrest, police said their investigation has led to four more possible suspects, none of whom are in custody. While police have returned mail to some residents, they said others may not even know their mail has been stolen.

U.S. postal inspectors said mail theft is common throughout Oahu and are investigating whether these suspects may also be involved in other recent cases in the Kapolei-Makakilo area.

"What is common is, they basically drive around the island, and they just look for opportunities," said Postal Inspector Keith Silva, referring to mail thieves in general. "They don't just stick to one area."

Silva said mail thieves make money in several ways, including taking credit card information and ordering items on the Internet, and depositing or forging stolen checks. "What we're dealing with are basically drug addicts that need money and are looking for anything they can -- credit cards, checks, personal information. ... They're very motivated."