Santa Clara police have arrested a local man for a series of mail room burglaries.
On Feb. 2, the Santa Clara Police Department (SCPD) announced the arrest on social media. After identifying a rise in these incidents, detectives launched a coordinated investigation. Detectives discovered a Lexus RX SUV associated with the burglaries.
After spotting the SUV, special enforcement team detectives conducted surveillance and secured an arrest warrant.
Police arrested the suspect, Edward Chao, 31, a Santa Clara resident, without incident.
The burglary occurred at a residence on the 3500 block of Monroe Street in Santa Clara, Dec. 10 last year, Lt. Eric Lagergren, SCPD’s public information officer, wrote in an email.
During the investigation, detectives recovered burglary tools and electronic devices used to break into apartment buildings and mailrooms. Lagergren would not disclose what the burglary tools consisted of, writing that the investigation is ongoing.
Recovery of the burglar’s tools allowed investigators to connect Chao to multiple incidents throughout the city.
The post announcing the arrest emphasized that SCPD remains committed to a high level of service despite marquee events such as the Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup.
“Major events do not alter our mission or our presence in the neighborhoods we serve,” the post read.
Tips for residents to protect themselves against mail theft can be found on the SCPD website at Tips & Resources | City of Santa Clara.
Those tips include promptly collecting mail, ideally daily, or using secure outgoing mail methods — blue collection boxes, handing it directly to a letter carrier, or dropping it off at the post office. Installing a secure, locking mailbox or renting a post office box also helps.
Finally, signing up for informed delivery also helps protect against mail theft. The United States Postal Service’s informed delivery provides daily, digital previews of your mail, allowing you to track what should arrive.
“The Santa Clara Police Department wants to work collaboratively with the community of Santa Clara to address various criminal issues,” Lagergren wrote.
The incident is the latest in a slew of mail thefts.
SCPD arrested a couple for stealing a cache of holiday gifts less than a month ago. In August last year, SCPD also busted a mail theft ring. The United States Post Office has previously said that mail theft has been on the rise the past several years.
Contact David Alexander at d.todd.alexander@gmail.com
What if the one terrorizing you is the Santa Clara p.d. , not the whole department but a few that I should file a civil suite against but I know the corruption will take presidence over what is rite … I believe its called justice but you can barley expect due process…..