Mail thief who stole from several homes arrested, New Westminster police say

A uniformed police officer is seen in an image from the New Westminster Police Department's Facebook page.

Police in New Westminster say they arrested a prolific mail thief last week after a witness caught him in the act in the early hours of the morning.

Around 3 a.m. on July 9, someone called 911 to report a man running from the lobby of a downtown condo building with an “armful of packages,” according to the New Westminster Police Department.

Officers found the suspect in a vehicle nearby, in the 900 block of Carnarvon Street, and arrested him. Police say there was more mail from “several” downtown homes inside the vehicle.

“Officers are working with management from each address to return the recovered packages to their rightful owners,” the NWPD wrote in a news release issued Thursday.

According to police, the suspect was found to have breached court-ordered conditions and the department is recommending charges of mail theft.

“Thankfully, many residents don’t hesitate to call us if they see someone stealing mail,” said Sgt. Andrew Leaver, in the release. “This resident did the right thing and recognized that a crime in progress needed to be called in to 911.”