Mail carrier fights back against would-be robber

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (WSVN) -- A mail carrier fought back after she was targeted by a would-be robber.

The 48-year-old woman was delivering mail when a man tried to snatch her master key. The incident happened near Washington Street and South 26th Avenue, Friday afternoon.

A struggle ensued and the man got away empty handed. U.S. Postal Inspector Blad Rojo said, "Earlier today, around noon time, we had a letter carrier that was approached. Somebody attempted to snatch the key from the carrier. The carrier was not hurt."

A witness said she watched the letter carrier fight back against her attacker. "There really wasn't much of a struggle," noted Rojo. "The assailant was not able to get to the carrier's keys and took off running southbound on 26th Street."

Shirley Taylor said she heard what the commotion was all about when postal inspectors arrived on the scene. "All I heard her telling police: 'I got my keys, he tried to take my keys.'"

The US Postal Inspector's Office has been very busy in South Florida over the last couple of weeks, investigating similar robberies. So far, this month, they have arrested three people for stealing master keys from letter carries in North Miami and Miami Gardens. Last year, one postal worker was killed in North Miami-Dade, for his master key. Two people were later arrested in that case.

These master key thefts have become such an issue that the Inspector's office recently announced plans to change procedures regarding the key used to open banks of mail boxes at communities.

If you have any information on this latest attempted robbery of a postal carrier, call the U.S. Postal Inspector at 877-876-2455 and select option 2. There is a $5,000 reward to stop this thief.

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