Residents of a quiet San Jose neighborhood are concerned about identity theft after dozens of mailboxes were ripped out of the ground last week.
The theft happened last Thursday night at Heritage Bay Drive and Hassler Parkway in the Evergreen Valley area, where one of three large banks of mailboxes was stolen, leaving nothing but bolts protruding from the ground.
"We suspect this time a year, they're looking for everything from W2s to billing information," one resident said. "Who knows what it could be?"
Postal officials said someone ripped the stack of 40 mailboxes out of the ground, a rare occurrence even for those who investigate mail theft. Inspectors say thieves get especially aggressive around the holidays.
"We're seeing an uptick in it, and we've got the postal inspectors on it working with local police," a postal official said. "And they're doing a pretty good job of tracking some of these thieves down."
Resident have launched a Neighborhood Watch program with the hope of preventing future thefts.
A $10,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest in the latest theft.
