Thieves hit more than 40 mailboxes in Lake Forest Park

LAKE FOREST PARK, Wash. -- Police say they believe someone drove through several neighborhoods in Lake Forest Park, opened up more than 40 mailboxes and stole mail early Monday.

“Mail fraud is getting pretty outrageous,” Lake Forest Park resident Adrian Royal said.

Thieves hit up Royal's mailbox -- and it’s not the first time.

“I didn't get my mail for like two months,” Royal said.



Last year, a thief stole Royal's personal information and forwarded all of his mail to another address.

“I am actually going to purchase a lock box with a key; I have to,” Royal said.

After Royal’s interview, Q13 FOX News noticed that his neighbor’s mailbox was also tampered with. We alerted the neighbor and she came out ,to see if her mail had been stolen.

“They couldn`t get anything out, thank God,” Margarita Andrijic said.

Police say a mailbox with a quality lock is the cheapest and most effective way to stop mail thieves.

Officer Morris Parrish says officers on patrol noticed more than 40 mailboxes had been tampered with overnight. It appears the thieves dumped mail they didn`t want out the window. Many residents may not even know they`ve been hit.

“They literally have piles of mail in the car; they are literally taking things that will be the most valuable stuff,” Parrish said.

Police are expecting more mail and package thefts with the holiday season around the corner.

It’s a good time to invest in a locked mailbox and have packages delivered to a secure location like a workplace.