Mail Carrier Robbed By 2 Men In Palo Alto: Police

PALO ALTO, CA — A mail carrier was injured in a strong-arm robbery Wednesday afternoon while making deliveries along Alma Street in Palo Alto, according to police. Investigators said the victim, a woman in her 50s, called 911 to report the robbery around 2 p.m.

The carrier told officers she was delivering mail in the area when two men walked up to her and demanded her mail keys. When she refused, the woman said one man pushed her to the ground and took the keys by force, along with her cell phone.

Police said the woman suffered a chipped tooth, facial swelling and wrist pain during the incident, and medics provided aid at the scene. She described the suspects as Hispanic men in their thirties, wearing all-black clothing and face masks, with one man about 5 feet 8 inches tall, and the other 5 feet 3 inches tall.

Detectives are investigating the attack with officers from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Having an unauthorized postal key is a federal offense that can carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years.

"Robberies of mail carriers for postal kets, which are used to access locked Postal Service mailboxes are not uncommon (though this is the first such case in recent memory here in Palo Alto," the department wrote Thursday. "Thieves then use the keys to assist them in committing mail theft, which in turn facilitates identity theft, fraud, and other crimes."

The USPIS asks anyone with information about a stolen postal key to contact its 24-hour hotline at 877-876-2455. Information leading to an arrest and conviction can be eligible for rewards as high as $150,000.