Suspect in Roseville mail carrier robbery arrested, stolen mail box keys returned
ROSEVILLE -- A Roseville neighborhood is on edge after a mail carrier was robbed at gunpoint for the keys to a mailbox in broad daylight.
Investigators say the keys that were taken grant access to all mailboxes in the 95747 zip code, which spans across west Roseville.
Roseville police say the robbery happened around 2:15 p.m. Tuesday when the carrier was approached by a suspect who demanded the keys to the mailbox. After a brief struggle, the suspect pulled out a gun before making off with the keys.
Matthew Norfleet, a US Postal Inspector, said what used to be a rare crime has skyrocketed since the pandemic.
"It's probably a weekly occurrence somewhere in Northern California that a letter carrier is going to get robbed," Norfleet said.
Norfleet said criminals are mainly after checks and credit cards but there is a potential that ballots in the area could get caught up in the stolen mail.
"They are affected, but we have no evidence that they are the target of the crime," Norfleet said.
The locks on the mailbox will be changed, but Norfleet is encouraging neighbors to get their mail on a daily basis as thieves will often return in the early morning hours.
Police on Friday said they arrested 32-year-old Xavier Roberts in connection with the case. The stolen keys were recovered and returned to USPS.