Mail theft has been rising in Clovis, police say. Arrests made during special patrol
Clovis police arrested three people for alleged mail theft over the weekend using a special patrol to fight the rising crime.
Officers patrolling near Buchanan High School saw a car stop at a community mailbox about 4:30 a.m. Sunday, police said in an update Monday.
When the car was pulled over, police said it was found to have stolen mail and burglary tools. Detectives arrested the driver and passenger, 34-year-old Mailee Xiong of Clovis and 31-year-old Xai Xiong of Fresno, according to police. The vehicle was also towed.
About a half-hour later, detectives arrested 37-year-old Deandre Smith, described by the department as a transient, near Gettysburg and Villa avenues after he was seen stealing mail, according to police.
He was booked into Fresno County Jail on suspicion of mail theft, possession of stolen property and possession of a controlled substance, police said.
The Xiongs have both since been released from jail, and Smith is held on $8,500 bail, according to jail records.
Clovis police: Mail theft increasing
The three people arrested Sunday were caught during special patrols by marked and unmarked police cruisers, according to a news release.
Clovis police said last week they are seeing an increase in reports of mail theft, leading them to recommend residents take extra steps to track their mail.
There were 40 reports of mail theft in December and there have been 50 so far this month, police said Monday.
Fresno County deputies also discovered a stolen car parked in the Mayfair District in the city of Fresno on Thursday, and inside it was several bags of stolen mail which appears to have been taken from residents in Clovis, according to Fresno County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Tony Botti.
Police recommend checking the mail daily to keep the mailbox from filling up.
Residents can also sign up for Informed Delivery by the U.S. Postal Service, a free service that previews the mail before it arrives so residents know what may be missing.
Officers also ask that residents report all mail theft, because they say the crime is underreported.
Clovis police plan more mail-related patrols, according to a news release.
This story was originally published January 31, 2022 at 11:43 AM.
