Employees at the Topanga Canyon Post Office have reported that on three separate occasions thieves have siphoned off fuel from their mail delivery trucks during the night.
The federal crime, apparently involving breaching a wall and cutting razor wire to access the government-owned vehicles has been occurring since before Thanksgiving. Postal employees arriving for work in the morning would discover that some of the trucks were out of fuel.
"The trespassing on Federal property and burglaries are now the subject of a Federal investigation by the United States Postal Service," said Richard Maher, spokesperson for the USPS. "The thefts are a federal crime and subject to fines and imprisonment for up to three years"
Maher said the property is considered federal property, including the trucks and all the equipment inside and anyone trespassing and tampering with vehicles is addressed in the United States Code Statute 1707 – the federal law governing this type of crime. Also, any theft or burglary involving a value of more than $400 is grand theft and treated as a felony.
PHOTO BY MARY SIPPLE  Theives cut razor wire and breached a wall during the night to siphon off fuel from mail delivery trucks at Topanga's Post Office. |
The Topanga Post office uses six jeep-type delivery vehicles that are stored behind the post office building in an open garage when not in use. The trucks must refuel either in Malibu or in Woodland Hills before making their scheduled deliveries. It was possible the thieves knew that the vehicles were full of fuel before parking them behind the building at night.
"Everything on the property, including all the trucks, equipment and material inside, are property of the Federal Government," he said. "So we can't address how we are going to secure the investigation."
According to Maher, the building housing the Post Office is leased from a private owner who is cooperating with postal inspectors to improve security at the site. Postal inspectors are also addressing the safety of employees who begin work before dawn.
Maher said at this time they don't believe the thefts were committed by postal employees but confirmed that the razor wire surrounding the trucks was cut on three separate occasions.
"They are going through a great deal of trouble and great risk committing a federal crime," he said. "Hopefully the security measures will be put in place to prevent further theft."
Maher asked that anyone who may see or hear anything to please call the U.S. Postal Inspectors anytime during the night or day at (877) 876-2455 and select option ‘2.'
