Mountain View residents who lost bills, credit cards, personal documents and even identities to mail thieves may soon be reunited with their property and peace of mind following the recent arrest of several Santa Clara County residents.
A months-long Mountain View Police Department investigation that began in August led to the arrests of Sabrina Abad, 41, of San Jose; Melissa Henry, 39, of San Jose; Brianna Jensen, 25, of San Jose; Brenden Mackay, 31, of Milpitas; Amanda Pappas, 30, of Cupertino; and Andrew Perez, 39, of San Jose, according to a press release the department issued Monday (Jan. 14). A seventh suspect, 34-year-old San Jose resident Steven Ross, was detained during the mail theft investigation but arrested on burglary charges.
“It cannot be overstated how much time and effort Mountain View detectives put into these cases,” Sgt. Chris Goff said. “Their dedication to relentlessly pursuing these suspects is something I am very proud of.”
Detectives believe the mail theft suspects targeted apartment complexes in the 1900 block of West El Camino Real, the 800 block of West El Camino Real, the 500 block of San Antonio Road and the 1000 block of Castro Street. They allegedly used counterfeit United States Postal Service master keys to open and empty entire mailbox banks and sometimes stuffed the loot into empty duffel bags.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested the first suspect, Jensen, after a vehicle chase Oct. 27, according to the release. They discovered mail from the 800 block of West El Camino Real and a counterfeit USPS master mail key in her possession.
Mountain View officers arrested Henry and Perez Dec. 31 at CVS, 2630 W. El Camino Real, after Henry attempted to use a stolen credit card to purchase gift cards, according to the release. The two possessed more than 100 pieces of stolen mail from the 500 block of San Antonio Road, several counterfeit California driver’s licenses, counterfeit mail keys and more than half a pound of methamphetamine.
Mackay’s arrest followed Jan. 2 when police officers noticed him peering into vehicles parked within an underground garage in the 2200 block of Showers Drive, according to the release. He reportedly possessed mail taken from the 500 block of San Antonio Road, a counterfeit California driver’s license featuring a stolen identity, a counterfeit mail key and a postal mail lock.
The remaining suspects, Abad and Pappas, were arrested Saturday (Jan. 12). Mountain View police officers on patrol pulled over Abad as she drove around an apartment complex in the 1600 block of West El Camino Real because they recognized her gold Mercedes as a vehicle associated with prior residential burglaries and mail theft, according to the release. Abad initially provided the officers with a fake name, but they identified her and recovered shaved keys, counterfeit mail keys, stolen mail and stolen credit cards in her possession. Meanwhile, officers spotted Pappas driving slowly away from the scene along El Camino Real. A traffic stop of her Chevrolet Tahoe yielded methamphetamine, meth pipes and unspecified items related to identity theft. The officers also learned of a felony warrant for Pappas’ arrest for vehicle theft.
Officers arrested Ross after they noticed he repeatedly telephoned Abad’s cell phone during their encounter with her. He had accompanied Abad but temporarily stepped onto a nearby footpath to smoke a cigarette, according to Katie Nelson, Mountain View spokeswoman. The officers suspected Ross of involvement with multiple residential burglaries, and they subsequently charged him with five counts of burglary and with possession of burglary tools.
Nelson said the suspects knew each other, but investigators declined to state to what extent.
Police detectives and U.S. Postal inspectors continue to investigate and search for additional suspects.
The Mountain View Police Department encourages residents to check their mailboxes daily to avoid loss and to remain alert for suspicious activity. Report stolen mail by visiting mvpd.gov or by calling 903-6344.
