Police Investigate Strong-Arm Robbery Of Mail Carrier In Palo Alto

PALO ALTO, CA — A mail carrier was the victim of a strong-arm robbery in Palo Alto's Midtown neighborhood, police said Friday.

Two men demanded the carrier's postal keys at about 11:45 a.m. Thursday in the parking lot of the Southwood Apartments at 2850 Middlefield Rd., police said.

When the carrier refused to also give them his wallet and cell phone, a fight ensued. The men knocked him to the ground and fled on foot toward a parking garage, police said.

The carrier said he saw an older model Nissan Altima four-door sedan leave the garage at high speed and head south on Middlefield Road, according to police.

The carrier described his assailants as Hispanic men in their 20s, both about 5 feet, 8 inches tall, with average builds and no facial hair. Both wore black hooded sweatshirts with the hoods up, police said.

Detectives are investigating whether the suspects were responsible for the strong-arm robbery of another mail carrier in December, police said.

Robberies of carriers for postal keys have grown common, according to police. The keys are used to access locked mailboxes and facilitate identity theft, fraud, and other crimes, police said.

Anyone who knows the location of stolen postal keys or has information about mail carrier robberies is asked to contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455.

Anyone with information about the Palo Alto robbery is asked to call police at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to [email protected] or texted to 650-383-8984.

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