USPS offering $150,000 reward in armed robbery of letter carrier on Chicago's South Side
CHICAGO (CBS) — The United States Postal Inspection Service is offering a $150,000 reward leading to the arrest of the suspect who robbed a letter carrier in the Bronzeville neighborhood last month.
The robbery is just the latest example in a crime trend that has been making headlines for years—with union leaders saying postal workers are afraid for their lives. They say they are under attack, and are asking the community and lawmakers to step up and help.
The latest robbery happened on Friday, June 28, around 1:20 p.m. in the 5000 block of South Evans Avenue.
Surveillance video captured the robbery as a woman approached the carrier before pointing and then flashing a weapon from the inside pocket of her jacket. As seen on surveillance video, the letter carrier backs away.
The robber fled the scene toward East 51st Street.
"Our reaction is like, not again," said Elise Foster, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 11 in Chicago.
For Foster, the scene feels like it is on replay.
"This is what we go through. This is what we've been saying," she said. "So if there wasn't Ring, nobody would understand what we go through."
Foster's union is seeing a spike in these types of incidents since August 2022.
"We've had over 140 incidents reported to us about these incidents that happened to letter carriers, and we have already said one is one too many—and something needs to be done," she said.
Foster said the fact that the USPIS is offering a reward is worth something.
"It's a start to show that something is being done," she said.
The suspect in the robbery is described as a Black woman between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-7 and between 20 and 25 years old. During the robbery, she wore a pink shower cap, a white face mask, a pink sweatsuit with a blue jean jacket, and large false eyelashes.
The public is advised not to try to apprehend the suspect as she is considered armed and dangerous.
The Bronzeville incident came just days before another string of mail thefts on the West and Northwest sides. Three of them happened back-to-back Monday, July 1.
In the thefts, suspects broke into postal workers' trucks and stole mail and packages.
Chicago Police are looking for a white vehicle in connection to the thefts.
"We're targeted for whatever reason. It could be the key one day. It could be the mail. It could be personal items," said Foster. "No one should have to work in fear while they're performing their duties."
There is now a national bipartisan push called the Protect Our Letter Carriers Act of 2024—which calls for strengthening the sentencing guidelines for this type of crime.
Anyone with information on the robbery in Bronzeville is asked to contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455. Callers should say "Law Enforcement" and reference case number 4334247. All information will remain confidential.
There have also been no arrests in any of the other recent incidents.