Video released of suspected postal carrier robbers

MIRAMAR, Fla. (WSVN) -- The postal service has released video connected to the strong-armed robbery of a letter carrier.

Two suspects, who remain on the run, stole the postal employee's master key to cluster mailboxes in a community on Dec. 26, 2012. The robbery happened in North Miami, at an apartment complex in the area of 140th Street and Northeast Sixth Avenue. Monday morning, officials have passed out flyers across the North Miami area advertising a $25,000 reward.

At a press conference that morning, Ivan Ramirez of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said, "We have been very fortunate in this most recent robbery to actually have surveillance footage from the actual location of the building, the apartment building, where this letter carrier was robbed."

The surveillance video footage shows two suspects arriving at the apartment complex before the robbery and then fleeing. The camera also caught the robbers' getaway car.

Blanca Alvarez of the US Postal Inspection Service described the strong-armed robbery: "A female carrier was delivering the mail, facing a mailbox when two young black males approached her. One came from behind her, put his hands over her mouth. The other young black male came to the side of her and took her keys. Both suspects fled on foot and, we believe, fled in a black, compact vehicle."

This crime is the seventh incident of its kind in the past two years. One of those incidents included the murder of a letter carrier. "The letter carrier, the mailman, if you will, they've always been an institution," said Ramirez. "They've been part of our family, and we have to look after them."

Inspectors said there is a reason thieves target these master keys. Alvarez explained, "We believe that people take keys from postal workers because they're looking for items of value that are in the mail. For example, it could be money orders, it could be checks, it could be gift cards, anything of value in the mail."

Because this crime has happened so often in recent months, inspectors are looking into all possibilities, including the possibility that the recent spate of robberies are connected. "We don't have any links at this time," said Alvarez. "It could be a possibility, but that's something that we are investigating."

If you have any information on this robbery, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.

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