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U.S. Postal Service mail truck burglarized in Riverside Heights

U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigating
Posted at 10:40 PM, Jun 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-22 06:16:04-04

Tampa police responded Wednesday afternoon to a Tampa USPS mail truck that was burglarized in the Riverside Heights neighborhood. 

"As we were backing out of the driveway we noticed that there was police cruisers over there," said resident Scott Allen. 

Neighbors tell ABC Action News, their mailman usually parks at the corner of Charter and N. Kinyon Avenue, then walks to make his deliveries. 

Tampa police say a crook saw a huge opportunity. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is now investigating the crime. 

"Our neighbor is older and she gets her medication by mail and so god forbid someone would take off with her diabetes medication or her heart medication that she needs."

Investigators say they still don't know exactly what the thief took from the truck. 

"Definitely not what you want to hear in a neighborhood you just bought a house in," said resident Andrew Visnick. 

Visnick says a neighbor warned him about mail theft when he moved into Riverside Heights, so now he's taking extra precautions to make sure his deliveries don't end up in the wrong hands.

"I always try to get my mail as soon as it comes in because I hear stories of people running off with packages." 

You can learn more about how to report mail theft here: https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/investigations/MailFraud/fraudschemes/mailtheft/ReportMailTheft.aspx