A second Northwest Side neighborhood says its security camera recorded a man stealing mail from a cluster box, and the homeowners association president believes it is the same man seen in a theft at the Northwest Crossing neighborhood.
The Oakland Heights video shows a man’s face close to the camera, with a crowbar in his hand.
“We’re hoping if you can put his face on KSAT someone is going to know who this person is, they’re going to contact you,” said John Wood, the Oakland Heights HOA president.
A neighbor sent Wood a KSAT report on the Northwest Crossing mail theft. In that case, the man turned the camera away before taking the mail.
“And the minute we looked at it, we’re like, ‘That looks like the same person,’” Wood said.
Wood pointed to similarities between the two cases, including a black truck and an Ariat hat.
“The video, excellent. The video is great. It’s helpful, it’s useful for the investigation and that’s the first step to help us identify the suspect. At this time, we can’t confirm if they’re connected, that takes an investigative process,” said Camelia Juarez, a San Antonio Police Department public information officer.
Oakland Heights is a gated community. Wood said the man followed a resident through the gate, then went straight for the cluster box. The police report says the suspect forced the gate with a crowbar, then opened the mailboxes with a key.
Within minutes, every piece of mail inside the cluster box was gone. The theft happened Sept. 27.
SAPD said a detective was assigned to the case. Wood wants faster action.
“We know this can be frustrating. It’s happening all over the city,” Juarez said. “We want to catch these suspects.”
Wood had a message for the man in the video.
“You’re going to get caught,” he said. “It’s very intrusive to be stealing someone’s mail, that’s their personal information. Leave these neighborhoods alone, stop breaking the law, go get a job, and give people back their mail.”
Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to contact the SAPD property crimes division at 210-207-7273 or email sapdpropertycrimes@sanantonio.gov.
The U.S. Postal Service said it is actively investigating the theft in Oakland Heights. It recommends people check their mailboxes every day and sign up for mail alerts so they know when important mail is coming.
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