FAIRFIELD, Calif. — Two people were arrested Sunday after Fairfield police were called to a mail theft in progress.
According to the Fairfield Police Department, the caller reported seeing a man and woman going through mailboxes and putting items into a backpack around Pear Tree Lane and Union Avenue.
Police detained the two people and found the man had an outstanding warrant in Solano and Napa counties, and that the backpack was full of stolen mail, credit cards and identification documents.
For Fairfield Police Captain Matt Bloesch, the items were sign the suspects were up to something more serious.
"It does because nobody goes and takes mail just to have the mail. They're not tearing off and reusing the stamp. They're going after that specific information for a reason, because there's a value behind it," he said.
The suspects were identified as 39-year-old Jarmol Okpalaugo and 30-year-old Andrea Gardiner. The two were booked on suspicion of conspiracy, mail theft and identity theft.
Bloesch said mail theft has increased significantly in his 25-year career.
With the rise of the internet and the dark web, he said criminals can do a lot of damage by opening up new lines of credit with a victim's name, date of birth and social security number.
"Before you know it, before you get your next credit report, they've rung up hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt against your name," Bloesch said.
Police say officers spent hours going through the mail and contacting potential victims. Nearly 50 people were contacted by around 1 p.m. Monday.
"We need the victim in this case, to say that the suspect did not have permission to have my driver's license," Bloesch said. "We have to be able to show that it's stolen, because it's not illegal to possess that stuff by itself."
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