PEARLAND, Texas – Over the past week, residents of Pearland's Stonebridge subdivision have had packages stolen not from their sidewalks or front porches, but directly from the parcel boxes at their neighborhood cluster mailbox units. The thieves struck three days in a row last week and already a couple of times this week.
"Several people had packages," says resident Marranda Ganucheau, who mounted an effort to alert neighbors on the subdivision's Facebook page. "I had two packages. Someone had three packages."
Channel 2 has confirmed with Pearland police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service that both agencies are investigating the thefts. Someone apparently is using a master key to steal the packages that are left for residents inside the larger parcel boxes. The thief even took much-needed medicine shipped to a combat veteran, according to his wife, who also served.
"We work hard for that, we served our country to get that medicine," says Ingrid Miller. "So why would you want to take someone's medicine? And it clearly says on the box, Department of Veterans Affairs."
And while many are focused on the holiday celebrated at the end of this month, it's the one that falls in December that already has people here worried and in fear.
"Christmas is coming up, the holidays," says Ganucheau. "It really makes me nervous. I want to know who's doing this."
Some residents say they've started to ship items to their workplaces instead of to their homes. They say they've also been informed by the post office that mail carriers will not leave packages inside the cluster mailbox units for the time being. They'll either be delivered to the door or residents will have to go to the post office to pick them up.
