Four charged with mail theft

Terry Richards, The Valdosta Daily Times, Ga.
·1 min read

Aug. 4—VALDOSTA — Police arrested four men for mail theft.

At about 3:04 a.m., July 30, an officer patrolling the 400 block of Connell Road saw four subjects at an apartment complex, according to a Valdosta Police Department statement.

When the four subjects noticed the patrol officer, they immediately fled on foot. The officer advised E911 of the foot pursuit, resulting in other officers responding to the area.

One suspect was detained by a Lowndes County deputy who was in the area, while Valdosta police located the other three subjects sitting in a vehicle in a parking lot, police said.

An investigation revealed the subjects had damaged a community mailbox and had stolen mail, police said. Officers recovered more than 45 pieces of mail from inside the vehicle and off of the ground. A pry bar and a large screwdriver, which were believed to be used to break into the mailboxes, were also recovered, police said.

All four subjects — described as Valdosta men from 18-20 years old — were arrested and transported to the Lowndes County Jail where they face charges ranging from theft by possession of stolen mail to criminal damage to property and possession of tools to commit a crime, police said.

"These officers did a great job quickly responding to the location and catching these offenders before they could leave the area. We appreciate the assistance from the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office; this is another example of local law enforcement working together to keep our community safe," Police Capt. Scottie Johns said in the statement.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.